Nine Months
by NikkiB1973
Summary: Pregnant and alone Bella runs...set in an AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Nine Months **

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

**Prologue**

Bella stared at all the pregnancy tests she had done over the last two days. They all showed the same blue lines. It was almost as if they were mocking her. It couldn't be true, it just couldn't. She was midway through her senior year at high school. She was on course to get the top grades in her year. She studied hard. Day and night Bella Swan was to be found either in the library or at her desk at home, studying. It was her promise to herself to get good grades and then go onto an excellent college. Having such high grades behind her and being known as diligent and focused on her studies were sure to get her a scholarship.

The one time, the only time she had decided to let loose and have some fun, this was the result. Bella had only been dating James Bastion for the last two months. He was the captain of the football team; a catch for any girl in the school. And it was Bella he had pursued relentlessly for the last year. She had rebutted him many times, but he had not been put off. It seemed like another challenge to him. Slowly over a few months he had worn Bella down until she had agreed to a date. It had gone surprisingly well. Away from his football buddies, James showed a softer and more vulnerable side, and she was hooked.

She had agreed to keep seeing him on the basis that it was on her terms. She would not allow their budding relationship to interfere with her studies and she warned him she would not be some sort of trophy girlfriend, standing on the sidelines while he trained and played matches. He could either take it or leave it. James had seemed amused by the guidelines she had set out. He teased her when they were together, sure she would succumb to his charms eventually and he was proved right.

Bella had reluctantly gone with him to a party thrown by one of his friends. He assured her it was only an intimate gathering, but when they arrived the music was pumping and the huge house was filled with bodies. Girls dancing half undressed, swigging back bottles of alcohol like no tomorrow. Bella had wanted to go home but James had become irritated with her, calling her a tease. He passed her a drink and watched as she gingerly drank some. She had no tolerance for alcohol at all and was soon so out of it she hardly recalled what had happened. She had woken up the next morning lying half naked across James in one of the upstairs bedrooms. Bella had been horrified. She had lost her virginity and she couldn't even remember. With a raging hangover she had got dressed and crept out of the house, fleeing back to the safety of her mom's small apartment.

* * *

><p>Bella waited outside the changing rooms for James to come out. He had just finished another after school training session. She had been trying to get in contact with him for the last two days, for some reason she had the dreadful feeling that he was avoiding her now that he had got what he wanted. He finally emerged, surrounded by the usual jocks. Bella took a deep breath and confronted him.<p>

"We need to talk."

"Woah, James. Looks like the little woman is pissed. What did you do?" Matt was James' best friend. His comment sent the other boys laughing. James just looked irritated.

"What do you want, Bella?" He snapped.

Bella flinched at his sharp tone but she bravely stood her ground. "Like I said we need to talk."

James rolled his eyes. "I thought my lack of contact would have been obvious. Don't be one of those clingy chicks, Bella. We had fun, now run along."

More laughter greeted his words and he high fived Matt when he saw Bella's face pale. She clutched her books close to her chest and backed away from him. She saw him smirk at her as she stumbled and finally made her escape.

* * *

><p>"I can't believe you have done this?" Renee yelled at her.<p>

Bella hung her head and avoided her mother's eyes. "It wasn't intentional. I didn't mean to..."

"Get knocked up by the first boy that shows a slight interest in you? How naïve can you be? I always told you to use protection." Renee said in exasperation. She placed her hands on her hips as she glared at her daughter. "Well don't expect me to support you. I suggest you get rid of it."

"What?" Bella sat back feeling horrified at her mother's cold suggestion. Renee had never been the most supportive of parents, but Bella had not expected this reaction. "Is that your last word?"

"Yes." Renee snapped. She grabbed her handbag and slung it over her shoulder. "You've made me late for work." She stormed from the apartment slamming the door behind her.

* * *

><p>With tears pouring down her face Bella hurriedly threw her clothes into the gym bag. There was only so much she could carry as she needed to travel light. She only took the essentials, her mother would probably sell what she left behind. Bella felt bitter tears wash down her face as she thought about the future that she had been working so hard towards as it disappeared before her eyes. Grabbing her wallet which was stuffed with her college savings, Bella glanced one last time around her room, before leaving the apartment and heading to the airport.<p>

* * *

><p>Charlie was tired. It had been a long shift at work. Nothing major had happened but still the paperwork produced had been enormous. He felt like he spent more time at his desk filling in useless forms then out tackling crime. He shoved a meal into the microwave and pulled a can of beer out of the fridge. He had just raised the can to his lips when there was a knock at the door.<p>

"Dammit." He cursed. Grudgingly he went to see who it was. When he opened the door the last person he expected to see was standing on his doorstep. It was his estranged daughter, Bella Swan.

_**A/N-thanks for reading! **_


	2. Chapter 2

**Nine Months **

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

_**A/N-thanks for the awesome reviews. Nikki :)**_

**Part One **

Charlie finally got over his surprise at Bella's unexpected visit. He ushered his daughter inside and closed the door. "Go through to the kitchen, kiddo." He led the way and began to nervously fiddle with the kettle and the mugs while Bella pulled out a chair and sat down.

"This is okay isn't it? I mean turning up unannounced like this." Bella said softly.

"Of course, of course. It's good to see you." Charlie twisted round and smiled at her. Bella returned it anxiously. "Just wasn't expecting you that's all." He finished spooning the coffee in the mugs and filled them with the boiling water. "Sorry, Bells. Do you take milk and sugar I forgot?"

"White with two sugars." Bella whispered, crestfallen that her father couldn't even remember how she took her coffee. How long had it been since she was her? Two...no three years. Maybe it hadn't been such a good idea to come.

"There you go." Charlie handed her one of the mugs and sat opposite her. He fumbled around for something to say as he discreetly studied his daughter. He could tell by the way she was fidgeting agitatedly and the way her brown eyes were darting about the room that something was wrong.

"Um...I know its been a long time..." Bella began, she stopped and took a sip of the coffee, her throat was parched. "It's just that I was wondering...um, hoping really, if I could stay a while. Feel free to say no..."

"What are you running from, kiddo?" Charlie asked astutely. He had seem many runaways with the same mannerisms. He watched as her face paled and she fiddled with the mug in her hands.

"Who says I'm running?"

"I do." Charlie reached out and caught her hands, pulling them apart, and placing the mug to one side before she dropped it. "Is it Renee?"

Bella swallowed thickly. "Kinda...we had a row. I...I can't go home right now."

"Fine." Charlie let go of her hands and sat back. He wasn't surprised that his ex wife was behind Bella's sudden urge to flee to the back of beyond. He was glad it was nothing more worrisome. "You can stay here as long as you like. Do you want me to have a word with your mother?"

"No, no." Bella became flustered. The last thing she wanted was for Charlie to risk talking to Renee and exposing the real reason why she was here. She needed a few days to think. He might throw her out if he knew she was pregnant. She resisted the urge to put a hand over her flat stomach. Already she felt protective of the innocent life growing inside her.

"If that's what you want." Charlie scraped his chair back and placed his empty mug on the draining board. "You must be hungry. Shall I order a pizza?"

The tension left Bella's body and her shoulders relaxed. He wasn't going to interrogate her further. She smiled at him and nodded. "Pizza would be good, thank you."

* * *

><p>Bella lay on the old bed she had slept in when she used to come and visit Charlie during the summer months. It still had the same purple bedspread from the old days. The furniture was the same. The walls were a dark cream colour and the old cork board where she used to hang her drawings was still there. She glanced at them for a moment. A lot of them were childish scrawls of herself holding her parents hands. She frowned when she realized that each of the stick figures had down turned mouths. Were they ever happy as a family? She closed her eyes and tried to block from her mind what she was supposed to do now. She felt utterly exhausted. Eventually she dropped off into a fitful sleep.<p>

* * *

><p>A light tap on the door roused her. She sat up abruptly, her long hair fell tangled around her slim shoulders. What time was it? Bright light was shining through the partially closed drapes. She had been lying on top of the covers; she hadn't bothered to crawl underneath.<p>

"Bells, can I come in?" Charlie asked tentatively.

"Yes." Bella croaked. She hastily rubbed her eyes.

Charlie opened the door and peeked in. When he saw she was fully clothed he came in further; a tray balanced in one hand. "I brought you up some breakfast. It's just toast and stuff. I hope that's alright. I figured you would still be feeling a little tired."

Tears came to Bella's eyes as she watched him shuffle into the room and place the tray carefully on her bed. Renee had never done anything like that for her, ever. In fact no one had. She smiled at him gratefully. It was nice to feel looked after for a change. "Thank you. I really appreciate it."

Charlie beamed at the praise. "That's good. I'm afraid I have to go into work but I promise to get off early. Um...I hope you won't mind but I've got a friend and his son coming over tonight. It was already pre-arranged. We're going to watch the game...but I could cancel if..."

"No, don't do that. I could cook for you. My way of saying thanks for letting me stay." Bella rushed to assure him.

"You don't have to do that. It's good having you here."

"I want to." Bella smiled at him again and picked up a slice of toast and bit into it.

"Okay then, if you're sure." Charlie returned her smile before leaving for work.

* * *

><p>Bella spent the majority of the day inside, only slipping out to the local store to get some supplies. Cooking soothed her and gave her something to concentrate on. She made a simple lasagne and vegetables. Then she added some snacks which they could eat while they were watching the game. She had forgotten her dad was a big Mariner's fan. Occasionally James' face would intrude on her thoughts as she worked. It brought back the memory of that night at the party. It worried her that she couldn't remember any details of what happened. She must have drunk a lot in a short space of time to be so spaced out that she couldn't recall any details. It was all so hazy. His mocking words the day she had tried to talk to him about the pregnancy haunted her. She had been used and it made her feel dirty. When she finished preparing the food, Bella headed for the shower. She turned it on as hot as it would go and scrubbed her skin until it was raw. Even after this she still felt dirty and ashamed. She stayed under the water until it ran cold, her eyes wet with tears.<p>

* * *

><p>Charlie was astonished and very touched at all the hard work that his daughter had gone to preparing the meal. "I tell you, kiddo, Billy and Jake won't ever leave if they knew it was you who cooked this."<p>

"Billy and Jake?" Bella's brow furrowed. The names were familiar. A vague image of a small boy with a shock of black hair and dungarees entered her head.

Charlie laughed at her bemused expression. "I see you remember the names. You and Jake used to be joined at the hip when you were very small."

"Mud pies." Bella smiled as she recalled kneeling in the backyard of the Black's tidy home and playing in the dirt with the boy.

"Oh yeah. You both tried to eat them. Jeez the fuss you both made. You set all the dogs barking in a twenty mile radius." Charlie laughed at the memory.

"I bet." Bella said ruefully. Before they could say more there was a knock at the door.

"That will be them." Charlie left to go and let the visitors in while Bella fiddled with the food a little more.

She heard voices and quickly looked up, smoothing down her hair as she did so. She forced a smile on her face as Charlie returned, followed by a jovial looking man who was in a wheelchair and behind them both a very tall boy, no man. Bella's mouth dropped open as she stared up and up at this tall stranger. This couldn't be Jacob Black, could it? Surely not? Charlie and Billy laughed at her reaction.

"Yeah, he does get that reaction a lot, Bella." Billy said in amusement. "He is as tall as a redwood tree."

"Very funny dad." Jacob grinned at his dad then held out his hand to Bella.

She stared at him, still completely dumbfounded. He was utterly gorgeous. He was six, no closer to seven foot tall. He towered above her own father who was over six foot himself. She could see the hint of muscles under his open necked shirt, but it was his endearing grin and sparkling dark eyes which made her return his smile. She took his hand to shake it, but to her surprise he pulled her into a tight hug, stealing her breath away.

"Now that's how we greet each other, remember, Bells?" He laughed as she tried to catch her breath.

"Jake give the girl some room." Billy held out his own hand. "Good to see you, Bella. Excuse my son."

Bella shook Billy's hand. "Good to see you too. You look well."

"And so do you. You've grown into a beauty. Shut your mouth Jake. You'll catch flies." Billy quipped.

"Dad." Jacob rolled his eyes and mouthed 'parents' to Bella.

"Um I've made some food." Bella began to babble. She felt extremely flustered. "I hope you like lasagne. Um..if not I can whip up something else. I have fish in the freezer...a lot of fish..."

"Bells, it's all fine." Charlie assured her. She saw Billy and Jacob nod in agreement. "These two would eat the clothes off your back if you let them."

"Hey old man." Billy pretended to be outraged as he began to spar with Charlie. The two of then traded pretend blows as they maneuvered around the cramped kitchen.

Bella watched them in fascination. "You'll get used to them." Jacob's voice made her jump. She hadn't heard him come to stand next to her.

"They're funny." Bella replied.

"Don't tell them that, their heads will swell." Jacob gave her his sunny grin again, putting Bella at ease as she found herself smiling back at him.

* * *

><p>"That food was delicious, kiddo." Charlie patted his full stomach.<p>

"I second that." Billy raised his can of beer to her. "Here's to the chef!"

"Here, here." Charlie and Jacob both raised their drinks as Bella flushed with pleasure.

"There's more if anyone wants some." She offered.

"Only if you have some too, Bells." Jacob said. "You are eating for two."

Bella was in the midst of picking up the left over lasagne. She dropped the dish and it clattered to the floor, the contents spilling everywhere. There was a deathly silence as all eyes turned to her. She could see Jacob, his face full of regret at what he had said. How had he even known? She dared to look her dad's way. Charlie seemed speechless as did Billy. Bella turned red and did what she had done her whole life. She ran...

_**A/N-thanks for reading! **_


	3. Chapter 3

**Nine Months **

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

_**A/N-thank you for the awesome reviews. Anyone who has been reading and following my other fic 'Injection,' will need to re-follow the story as for some reason the site has deleted all my follows and faves sighs. Nikki **_

**Part Two**

"Bella stop, please. Stop." Jacob had sprinted after her as soon as she had left the room. He was mortified about what he had inadvertently revealed. He just thought Charlie knew. He hadn't realised she hadn't told her father.

Bella was at the front door, fumbling with the catch as she tried to wrench it open. Her face was awash with tears, which blinded her as she continued to tug on the door. Jacob put his hand on her shoulder, startling her. His touch was hot and she shrugged his hand away; keeping her face averted so he wouldn't see her tears. "Leave me alone." She hissed.

"I'm sorry. I never meant to drop you in it. Bells, please believe me." Jacob begged her.

She glanced at his face from under her long eyelashes. He did look distraught, his eyes showed how sorry he was. But that didn't help her now. She backed against the door as she saw her father come up behind Jacob. "Your dad is in the living room, Jake. Why don't you join him? The game starts soon." Charlie suggested calmly.

"But..." Jacob began to protest.

"Please son. I want to speak to Bella in private."

Bella hung her head. Charlie hadn't called her his daughter, kiddo or even Bells. It was Bella. That said it all in her mind. He was going to ask her to leave. He was probably as disgusted as her own mother had been. "It's alright you don't have to say anything. I'll go and pack my things." She began to edge around them to reach the stairs.

"Pack your things? What on earth for?" Charlie seemed bewildered.

Bella peeked up at him. "You mean you're not chucking me out?"

"I would never do that." Charlie seemed aghast at such a suggestion. "I merely want to talk that's all. I promise. Please come into the kitchen. Jake go and join Billy."

"I'm sorry, Bells." Jacob apologized again as he gave her a contrite smile. He finally left them alone and went to join his father in the living room.

"Come on, kiddo. I'll make us both a warm drink." Charlie ushered her back into the kitchen and switched on the kettle. Like the previous day he poured them two mugs of coffee and sat down opposite his daughter.

Bella clutched the mug in her hands as she tried to summon up the courage to tell her father the truth. She felt ashamed and also very frightened. She dreaded what he really thought about her. "What Jacob said is true, I am pregnant." She admitted.

"How far along?" Charlie was being practical. He wasn't raging at her like Renee had done. Bella relaxed and drank some of her coffee.

"A couple of weeks."

"Have you seen a doctor?" Charlie asked.

"No, I haven't. I told mom and she...well she..." Bella hung her head again, her long hair sweeping around her shoulders, hiding her expression from him.

"And she what, kiddo?" Charlie prompted her.

"She told me to get rid of it. That she wouldn't support me. I got really upset, packed my bags and left. I haven't had time to see a doctor. I came straight here." Bella felt sickened at the thought of what her mother had suggested. When she glanced up at her father again, she could see he felt the same. His face was flushed and there was an angry look in his eyes.

"I am truly sorry that she said that to you, Bells. I really am." Charlie reached out and tentatively took her hand in his own.

More tears leaked out of Bella's eyes as she finally raised her head and looked at her father properly. There was no blame or judgement in his eyes, only the willingness to understand and help. "Thank you."

"What about the father?" Charlie dared to ask. He took a sip of his own drink; the warm coffee slid down his parched throat.

Bella stiffened. "He doesn't know." She whispered.

"Why not?" Charlie knew he had to tread carefully, something wasn't right here. Bella was very skittish, her eyes were darting from side to side and he could hear her foot tapping on the floor with anxiety.

"He basically got what he wanted and didn't want to know me afterwards." It was hard for Bella to voice the words aloud, how James had basically used her. It hurt more because she couldn't even remember losing her virginity to him.

Charlie's face hardened. "I see. Can you tell me his name?"

"James...James Bastion..."

"Were you together long?" Charlie hated interrogating her, but he needed to know the facts. His anger at this faceless individual who had cruelly used his daughter knew no bounds.

Bella swallowed thickly. She hated talking about James, but she felt her father deserved the whole truth, he was being so kind and understanding. "A couple of months. It was at a party. I don't remember much." She mumbled. "I must have drunk too much."

Charlie narrowed his eyes. "You think you drank too much or you know you did?"

"I don't know. I can't remember. It's all fuzzy." Bella blurted out. "I just woke up the next morning with a raging hangover. I am so sorry. You must be ashamed of me. I'm ashamed of myself. I don't normally go to parties. I never drink. I've always studied hard I promise. I'm sorry."

Charlie squeezed her hand. "Hey, stop that. I am not ashamed of you and you did nothing wrong. Nothing wrong at all. I'm sorry for all the questions, Bells. Thanks for answering them all so honestly. Now why don't you go and wash up and come back down and watch the game with us. Tomorrow we can arrange for you to see a doctor."

"You're not mad?" Bella couldn't believe she was getting off so lightly.

"No of course not." Charlie smiled at her encouragingly.

"Thanks dad." Bella said sincerely as she scraped her chair back and wiped her eyes.

Charlie watched as Bella left the kitchen and headed upstairs. As soon as she was gone Billy and Jacob came back to join him. Jacob still looked incredibly guilty. "I take it you heard all that?" Charlie asked.

"I did. I told my dad the gist of it." Jacob confessed.

"That son of a bitch that she was dating sounds like a right low life. You think he slipped something into her drink, don't you?" Billy whispered, his voice laced with disgust.

"I am certain of it." Charlie said grimly. "The fact that she can't remember any details other than sipping one drink. If I could I would bring the full force of the law onto the scumbag's head but I have no proof now. It happened a few weeks ago. It would be Bella's word against his, and I don't want to put her through any of that right now. She is far too fragile."

Billy exchanged a dark look with his son. Jacob nodded wordlessly. "Let us deal with him, chief. He won't ever try that trick again I can assure you."

Charlie's eyes narrowed as he stared at his friend and Jacob thoughtfully. He clasped his hands together. "How many of you would it take to _deal _with the problem?"

"I'll take Embry and Quil with me." Jacob replied. "As my dad said this James character will never get away with something like this again. Let us do it for Bella. You know what we are capable of."

"Oh I know." Charlie gave him a half smile. "I'll pay your fares. But you must be discreet. I want no one seeing you with this guy. You three are rather memorable." He raised his eyebrows as he looked Jacob up and down.

Jacob grinned at him. "We'll be very discreet." He agreed.

* * *

><p>Bella felt much better when she had washed up. She brushed her hair and put a little make up on to hide her reddened eyes. She still couldn't believe how cool her dad had been about the whole thing. She compared his attitude to her mothers. Not for the first time she wished she had been able to live here with him in Forks. Why did the court always side with the mother, even when that mother was barely capable of looking after herself. Bella banished thoughts of Renee from her mind as she descended the stairs to rejoin the others.<p>

As soon as she entered the living room, Jacob jumped up from the sofa and began to apologize for his gaffe all over again. Bella smiled at him. "You did me a favor." She assured him. "Let's forget about it and watch the game."

Jacob's face broke out into a sunny smile at her forgiveness. He fussed around, plumping up cushions and helping her to sit down as if she was a fragile doll. "Is that comfortable?"

"She's pregnant, not ill son." Billy and Charlie laughed as Jacob glared at them.

"I'm being a gentleman." He snapped.

This made the older men laugh even harder. "That's a first." Billy chuckled. "Maybe you being here will give my son some manners, Bella."

Bella smiled at Billy's gentle teasing of Jacob. He was wearing a fake scowl as he continued to glare at his dad. "I like being looked after." She said.

"See." Jacob brightened up at this praise. He sat next to Bella and picked up a bowl of popcorn. "You're going to love this game, Bells."

"I'm sure I will." Bella took some popcorn and began to chew happily as she turned her attention toward the television. Ten minutes into the game she was fast asleep; her head resting on Jacob's broad shoulder as she dozed.

_**A/N-thanks for reading! **_


	4. Chapter 4

**Nine Months **

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

_**A/N-thanks for the awesome reviews. Is anyone else having problems with this site. I can't read any of my PM's now. It is very frustrating. Nikki :/**_

**Part Three**

James was feeling very agitated. He ran into the gym glancing around him nervously. No, they weren't there, he must be imagining it. He let out a yell as he suddenly collided with someone.

"Hey dude what is with you?" Matt's voice startled him and he stumbled backwards.

"It's you..." James stared around him again.

"Who else would it be? You're acting really weird, J. You better not let coach see you like this or you'll definitely be off the team for sure. He already suspects you're on something." Matt peered into his friend's eyes to check his pupils.

James shoved him away. "I'm not on anything." He snarled.

"Well you sure act like it." Matt sneered, he was getting tired of the way James had been acting over the past week, everyone was. His performance on the field was way off of his best. He was the teams star player, but he had lost them important points in the last game, which was a pivotal one. Everyone suspected he was on drugs; especially the coach, and they were all pissed at him. James was arriving for practice later every day and when he did turn up he acted as if the hounds of hell were after him. He would jump a foot in the air if you so much as spoke to him and would yell if you asked questions. Matt had never seen James like this ever. His friend had dark circles under his eyes as if he hadn't been sleeping. Everyone knew that James dealt drugs and occasionally dabbled, but it seemed now that it had taken him over. Matt didn't want to be associated with someone like that. It could jeopardise his own position on the team.

"Look I'm sorry man. I've just not been sleeping well." James ran a hand through his hair as he stared around the gym.

"I'm outta here." Matt said in disgust. "I've had enough."

James grabbed his arm as he passed him. "We're supposed to be friends. I thought you were going to help me train."

"No way. Not now." Matt snorted. "You're a loser. See you around, dude." He pulled his arm away and swiftly left the gym.

James stared after him, completely shocked at what had just happened. How had his life turned into a nightmare in a such a short space of time? The sound of the gym doors opening made him jump a foot in the air. He was almost afraid to turn around. It was just Matt coming back, wasn't it? He twisted around and peered fearfully over his shoulder. A gasp left his lips as sweat began to bead on his forehead. It was them, they were here...the three tall figures began to approach him.

* * *

><p>It had all started over a week ago. He had come home one day from practice, climbed out of his expensive convertible and began to trudge toward his house. Movement to the side caught his eye and he stopped, peering around him. There they were; three, super tall Native American guys. They were big, huge. Their muscles bunched as they moved like panthers as they stalked toward him. Their dark eyes were laced with yellow as they surrounded him. James had never felt so scared in his life. His mom had come out of the house and called him. As swiftly as they appeared, the three men suddenly disappeared.<p>

"James, I've been calling you." Mrs Bastion complained in exasperation. "What is wrong with you? You look like you've seen a ghost." She peered closely at her son's white face.

"Didn't you see them?" James' voice quavered.

"Who?" Mrs Bastion was losing patience. "Come inside instead of lurking on the driveway. What would the neighbors think?"

After that he saw them everywhere. They were at his school in the morning when he turned up for early morning practice. They would lurk in the shadows and suddenly appear; their movements so silent that he had no warning. Each time they would surround him, their strange eyes wild and menacing. Each time he would cry out and someone would come to his aid, but as soon as help arrived the three men would have melted away like ghosts. James tried to arrive at school later each day, but the men would be there, waiting. He hid in the locker room after practice, hoping against hope that he would avoid them, but no, there they would be, just within sight as they followed him. No one else seemed to see them. He would ask his friends whether they had seen any strange men hanging around but they looked at him as if he was crazy. He filed a report with the school but they too acted as if he was mental.

Maybe he was. That was what James was beginning to believe. No one else saw them but him. He began to dream about them and he lost sleep, making it harder for him to function during the day. He fell asleep in class from exhaustion and his performance on the field nosedived. He knew that coach was ready to throw him off the team, and now they were here yet again, surrounding him, ready to kill him. He could see it in their eyes. His life was a mess, he had lost his friends, his popularity, his place on the team. Everyone thought he was going crazy or on drugs.

"NOOOO..." James fell to the ground and curled up in a ball; his whole body shaking as he pissed himself with fear. He began to cry like a little boy. "Stay away from me..." He whimpered.

The three tall shadows hovered above him for a moment. He didn't see them wrinkle their noses in disgust at the smell as James soiled himself. "I think our work here is done." Jacob announced. He grinned at his two friends. Quil and Embry highfived him. They had managed to scare the shit out of James Bastion without having to lay one finger on him. Charlie and Billy would be pleased.

* * *

><p>Bella sat in the doctor's office, her foot tapping nervously as she awaited the results from her check up. Charlie had wanted to come with her, she had thanked him, but told him that she would rather do this part alone. He had grudgingly conceded to her wishes, but made her promise to call if she needed anything. The door to the room opened and a man came in. He was not the doctor she had seen earlier. Bella frowned as she watched the man smile at her reassuringly before sitting down opposite her. He was certainly handsome, young by the look of him. He had the whitest skin she had ever seen and his eyes were an odd sort of amber color.<p>

"Ms. Swan?" The doctor glanced at her chart. "I'm Doctor Cullen. You have been passed over to me by Doctor Mitchell. It's nice to meet you." He held out his hand. Bella shook it and flinched at his cold touch.

"Why have I been passed to you?" She asked nervously as she wrapped her hand around the one the doctor had touched. She rubbed her fingers to get some warmth back into them.

"There's no need to worry." The doctor smiled at her again. "It's just that you may need some extra monitoring. I am afraid your blood pressure is very low. It's still early days but I want to assure you we will look after you very well here."

"My baby is okay?" Bella's hand flew to her stomach.

"Yes...like I said you just need a bit of extra TLC. Now I see that you are under your father's insurance." He continued.

"Yes. My father Is Chief Swan." Bella said proudly.

She saw Doctor Cullen frown slightly. "I see. I didn't make the connection."

"Is there a problem?" Bella asked him, perplexed by his reaction.

"Not at all. May I just ask you not to tell your father that I am the one in charge of your care?"

"Why?" Bella was feeling very suspicious.

"Well I am new here, still finding my feet as they say." He flashed her a charming smile and looked at her intently. Bella got caught up in his vivid gaze. She found herself nodding.

"Okay." She agreed.

"Good, good." Doctor Cullen signed off her notes and made her another appointment for a week's time.

* * *

><p>Charlie yawned as he finished up his paperwork for the day. He hoped that Bella's appointment had gone well. He was still a little miffed that she had not wanted his company, but she was used to being independent from living with Renee all these years. Maybe it was a hard habit to shake off. He was determined to show Bella that she had his entire support every step of the way. The door to his office opened and his secretary peered inside.<p>

"Three young men to see you, Chief Swan." She pursed her lips, obviously not too happy about her beloved Chief being interrupted.

"Oh send them in would you, Florence." Charlie flashed her a smile and she was immediately mollified.

"As you wish." Florence disappeared and soon his office was filled by the large bodies of Jake, Quil and Embry.

"Is it done?" He whispered to them. He knew Florence sometimes had her ear to the door and didn't want her to overhear.

"It's done." Jacob said cryptically.

"No damage?" Charlie checked.

"Only his mental state." Quil grinned wickedly.

"Good." Charlie got up from his seat and pulled on his jacket. "I owe you three a pizza."

"Um...a lot of pizza's." Embry reminded him.

Charlie rolled his eyes as he pushed past them and yanked the door to his office open. Florence tumbled in and nearly fell at his feet. She steadied herself and coughed awkwardly. "All done, Chief Swan?" She babbled to cover how flustered she was to be caught snooping.

"All done, Florence." Charlie said grimly as he heard the others roar with laughter behind him.

* * *

><p>Bella was just sitting down to relax when her father came home unexpectedly, accompanied by none other than Jacob Black and some of his friends. She was shocked to see how alike they all were. He introduced them as Quil and Embry, they both winked at her flirtatiously until Jacob cuffed them both around the back of the head.<p>

"Bella is a lady. Hands off." He warned them.

Quil rubbed the back of his head irritably. "Just being polite." He muttered.

"Yeah man." Embry gave Bella another big smile which earned him a sharp rap on the knuckles from Charlie this time.

Bella sat staring at them all in bewilderment. "Um...hello. Can I get you all a drink?"

"Yes please my lady." Quil bowed to her theatrically.

Jacob glared at him. "Ignore Quil, he was dropped on his head at birth. Never recovered."

"Can I help you, Bella?" Embry inquired, all fake innocence. He felt Jacob's stare boring into the back of his head. He loved winding his friend up.

"Um..." Bella flushed red, feeling completely flustered.

"Ignore him too." Jacob interjected quickly. "He was dragged not brought up. No manners. I'll help you." He shoved past his friends and came to stand next to Bella.

Charlie was used to their ways, but he could see Bella was struggling. "I've brought pizza, kiddo. You sit down. I'll make the drinks."

Bella gave him a grateful smile as Jacob pulled out a chair and helped her to sit down. She smiled to herself in amusement as he fussed around her again like the last time she had seen him. That had been over a week ago. "So Jake where have you been hiding yourself for the last few days?" She asked politely.

Jacob exchanged a mischievous look with the others before grinning at Bella. "Just taking care of an irritating problem." He said cryptically as he pulled out a chair and sat beside her.

_**A/N-thanks for reading! **_


	5. Chapter 5

**Nine Months**

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

_**A/N-thank you very much for the awesome reviews. Sorry to anyone who has sent me a PM and I haven't replied yet. My account is still affected and I am waiting for the admins to fix the problem. Nikki :) **_

**Part Four **

"So how did the appointment go, Bells?" Charlie asked once they were all sitting down eating the pizza's.

Bella was distracted for a moment as she watched Jacob and his friends greedily devour their portions within seconds and reach for more. No wonder her dad had bought six large pizza's. "Um...okay I guess. The doctor said my blood pressure is a little low and that I'll need a little bit more monitoring. I have to go back next week."

Charlie frowned. "Low blood pressure? Sounds serious, kiddo."

"No. Like I said I just need to be checked a little more to keep an eye. He also told me to get more rest and relaxation, that's why I had a soothing shower when I got back here." Bella assured him.

"That's why you smell like strawberries." Jacob said enthusiastically with his mouth full.

"You can smell me?" Bella replied in bemusement. Quil and Embry burst into laughter as Jacob gave her an embarrassed smile. He hadn't meant to say that out loud.

"Don't worry, Bella." Embry chuckled. "The pizza has just gone to his head."

Jacob glared at his friend as Quil laughed louder. Bella didn't know what to make of it all. She bit daintily into her pizza and shared an amused look with her father. These guys were sure entertaining. She had never met anyone quite like them before. The pizza was soon all gone and Quil and Embry decided it was time to leave. Jacob did not seem in any hurry to go, his attention was all on Bella as he made polite conversation with her, asking her how she was feeling and could he get her a cushion in case her back was aching because of the pregnancy.

"Son, she isn't even showing yet, her back is fine and so are her ankles before you get something to prop them up. All that will come later." Charlie rolled his eyes at Jacob; the boy's crush was getting more obvious by the second.

"My ankles will swell?" Bella said in alarm as she glanced down at them.

"If you're anything like Renee they might." Charlie grimaced as he recalled Renee in the last trimester. She had been like an emotional roller coaster.

"I hope I'm nothing like her." Bella replied grimly.

There was an awkward silence for a moment. Only Jacob knew how badly Renee had reacted to her daughter's unexpected pregnancy. It made him angry to think about it. What kind of mother treats her own daughter like that. He felt a tug on his arm as Embry motioned for him to go. Jacob sighed irritably and turned back to Bella, he could have stayed for the rest of the day. "I suppose I better go."

"Yeah the Alpha is calling." Quil grumbled as he looked regretfully at the small pizza that Bella had left half uneaten. His fingers were itching to snatch it and finish it off.

"Alpha?" Bella frowned again.

Embry cuffed Quil on the back of his head again. "Ignore him Bella, remember Jake told you he was dropped on his head as a baby."

"Yeah." Bella smiled weakly, having no idea what was going on.

"That's enough guys." Charlie intervened before Quil let slip any more confusing information. That boy had a habit of putting his foot in it. "Bells needs her rest. I'm sure we'll be seeing you all again soon."

"Tomorrow." Jacob blurted out.

"Huh?" Bella glanced at him in confusion. Quil and Embry started to laugh again. The boy was so obvious and completely smitten.

"I mean, you're new here. I can show you the town." Jacob offered with a grin.

"What all five shops?" Bella joked lamely.

Jacob flushed red as he looked to his friends for help. Embry raised his eyes to heaven. Really Jacob was utterly clueless. "He means he would like to show you La Push. We have some beautiful views."

Bella glanced at her dad. Charlie nodded at her. "You might as well, kiddo. I have to work tomorrow so it would be something for you to do."

"Okay, that would be great . Thank you very much, Jake." Bella smiled at him broadly and he returned it.

"Awesome. I'll pick you up at ten." Jacob held out his hand and Bella giggled as she shook it.

"Done."

"Come on we better go." Embry grabbed hold of Jacob's arm and hauled him out of the house before he melted into a pile of lovesick goo.

* * *

><p>"Jacob, are you listening to me?" Sam barked at him.<p>

Jacob was too busy tracing Bella's name on the wooden table with his finger. He was busily chewing on one of Emily's muffins after snatching Quil's share while his back was turned. He felt someone dig him in the ribs and he growled in annoyance.

"JACOB!" Sam snapped loudly.

Jacob lifted his head and stared at Sam. What was wrong with Uley now? He had been droning on about patrol shifts for the last hour. What else was there to know? "What?"

"You didn't hear a word I said did you?" Sam said impatiently. His fingers were twitching which showed how pissed he was.

As always Emily acted as the peacemaker. "Let him be, Sam." She said sweetly. "I think young Jacob has a lot on his mind...or maybe a certain someone."

Jacob scowled. When he had first arrived the meeting had been delayed because Leah was refusing to come into the house. Her truce with Emily had fallen through again and she was deliberately being difficult. The more she acted out the more her cousin acted serenely, as if she hadn't snatched Sam right from under Leah's nose. The sickening love triangle was causing unnecessary tension. Unfortunately it had meant that Quil had ample time to let the rest of the pack know about Jacob's crush, Bella Swan.

"Trust you to pick a pregnant girl to have the hots for." Sam shook his head in disbelief.

"She won't want to know. Once the father comes sniffing around she'll dump your sorry ass like yesterday's news." Paul sneered.

Jacob stood up abruptly, his chair clattering to the floor. Immediately the others grabbed hold of them both to stop them fighting in the middle of the Uley's small, cramped lodge. Paul and Jacob were always butting heads. There wasn't a day that went by that a fight didn't break out between them.

"Not in here." Sam ordered. "Sit back down, both of you."

Paul and Jacob stared at each other before complying. They couldn't go against a direct Alpha command. Jacob vowed to kick Paul's butt later. Asshole! Lahote had no idea what a bastard Bella's ex was. There was no way he would come back on the scene. Jacob would definitely hurt him if he dared to show his face near Bella again.

"Can we all go now, almighty Alpha?" Leah sneered. "The testosterone in here is beginning to choke me."

Sam sighed irritably. "Go. Just remember your patrol schedules." He just wanted them all gone, his head was splitting.

* * *

><p>Bella decided to go for a walk down the main high street. It was very small, just a few random shops and a diner. However the surrounding trees and breathtaking view more than made up for the lack of facilities. It was fairly quiet, only a few other walkers about. Bella stopped to peer into the window of a small gift shop. Most of the contents were the usual stuff, but there was a pretty rope bracelet on display. Bella loved bracelets, she had quite a collection of them back in her mom's apartment, but they were lost to her now. She decided to go in and buy this one as a treat to herself and a reminder of new beginnings. Her hand was just reaching for the door when someone beat her to it. She was startled as she hadn't heard the other person approach.<p>

"Sorry. I didn't mean to make you jump." The voice belonged to a young man, he couldn't be that much older than she was. He smiled at her as he opened the door to the shop and ushered for her to go inside.

"Thank you." Bella glanced at him again. Something about his white skin and his odd coloured eyes made her think of the doctor at the hospital. He was certainly as handsome in an emo kind of way. Not to her personal taste. She could see that his clothes were obviously expensive; his hair was gelled up in the latest style and he had a nice smile.

"My pleasure." The young man paused for a moment as he sniffed the air.

Bella stayed rooted to the spot, alarmed at this odd behavior. She watched as his smile faded and his hand flew to his nose. His whole demeanor changed as he backed away from her and exited the shop, the bell over the door pinged as it shut behind him. How odd? There were certainly some strange people around here. Bella sniffed her clothing to make sure it wasn't her that smelt, but she couldn't detect anything. She shrugged and put the boy out of her mind as she went to purchase the bracelet.

_**A/N-thanks for reading! **_


	6. Chapter 6

**Nine Months **

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

_**A/N-thank you very much for the awesome reviews. I really appreciate it. Nikki :) I am working on the next chapter of 'Injection' it is giving me a lot of trouble so I am going to have it beta read to double check it. **_

**Part Five**

Bella was waiting outside when Jacob turned up in a small red car the next day. She smiled to herself as she watched him struggle out of it. Why had he bought such a small vehicle when he was so tall and well built? He saw her watching him with an amused smile and he grinned. "I suppose you're wondering why I have such a small car when I'm so tall?" He said, echoing her exact thoughts.

"Kinda." Bella descended the steps to meet him, tripping slightly.

"Well." Jacob patted the hood of his car lovingly. "I restored her myself. When I started I was a lot shorter and a lot less toned, shall we say." He flexed his muscles playfully.

Bella laughed. "Jeez, you must work out daily to get those pecs and that six pack."

"No this is au naturelle." Jacob boasted. He opened the passenger door for her and took her hand as he assisted her into the car.

"Still the gentleman?" Bella asked as she made herself comfortable.

"Always the gentleman." Jacob slid in the driver's seat again and started the engine. "Don't listen to those numbskulls Quil and Embry."

Bella's smile widened at the thought of Jacob's friends. They were so funny when they were together. While she was thinking this Jacob was looking at her covertly. She was so pretty. Her eyes were shining and she had a special glow about her. He loved seeing her smile. He didn't realise he was smiling goofily at her until she nudged him with her elbow. "Are we going?" She asked.

"Yeah, right." Jacob coughed to cover his awkwardness and pulled out of the driveway.

* * *

><p>Conversation was light and easy on the journey to La Push. Jacob pointed out various landmarks on the way and Bella stared out of the window admiring the views. Vague memories of her time there as a young girl came back to her, and when they reached Jacob's house, it became even more familiar. A scene appeared in her mind's eye of a beautiful woman with long, silky black hair standing in front of the small redwood house. She was holding the hand of a young boy, which Bella recognized as Jacob. This must be Sarah, his mother.<p>

"She would make us pancakes." She said aloud as Jacob parked up.

"Huh?" Jacob turned off the engine and glanced at her.

"Sarah." Bella smiled at him wistfully. "When I came to visit she would make us pancakes. They were your special favorite. Am I right?"

Jacob was stunned. He stared at her for a moment; his eyes becoming moist. "You remember that?" He asked incredulously.

"I remember. Your mom was lovely. I bet you really miss her." Bella's voice was gentle now as she looked at him directly with her soft brown eyes.

Jacob swallowed thickly. No one ever talked about his mother much anymore for fear of upsetting him and Billy. Bella's memory was lovely. He instinctively reached out and squeezed her hand. Bella thought again how warm he was. She squeezed it back. "I hope I didn't upset you talking about her?"

"No, it was nice actually. I don't get to really talk about her much." He confessed.

"Not even with Billy?"

"No. I can see the pain in his eyes when I catch him staring at his wedding photo. I just find it hard to broach the subject with him." Jacob gazed over at the house. "We go every now and then to put flowers on her grave. My dad goes alone sometimes. I know Harry used to take him over there, but he's gone now too." A sad expression crossed Jacob's face.

There had been so much loss in his life, Bella thought to herself, and he was only young. She recalled he had twin sisters. She wondered where they were. "What about your sisters?"

Jacob sighed. "They got out of La Push as soon as they could. Rachel is in college and Rebecca married a surfer. They don't come home, but they phone sometimes."

Bella thought it wise not to probe further, talking about his siblings was the first time she had heard an edge of bitterness in his voice. "We could visit her grave today and take Billy with us?" She suggested instead.

"You would go and do that?" Jacob said astounded.

"Of course. I really liked your mom, she was a lovely woman. I have many awesome memories of my time here when I was a little girl and I tell you I don't have many of them with my own mother. I would like to pay my respects and anyway it's a lovely day." Bella stared out at the cloudy sky.

"By that you mean for once it's not raining." Jacob quipped.

"Exactly." Bella smiled her gentle smile at him again before climbing out of the car.

* * *

><p>The rain kept off as they all surrounded the small headstone that bared Sarah's full name, date of birth and death. Billy lay down some fresh flowers and touched the cool marble. "I always wish I could have afforded a better headstone with some fancy words but there was never enough money." He said regretfully. "Sarah deserved so much better."<p>

Jacob put his hand on his dad's shoulder. "Mom wouldn't care. She knows you did your best."

Billy felt choked up with emotion as he put his hand over Jacob's. "I am sure you're right. Sarah knows how I feel about her and she would be proud of how you've turned out, Jake."

Bella approached discreetly and lay her own bunch of wild flowers next to Billy's. The graveyard was peaceful. There were only a few other mourners dotted about and they kept to themselves. She knelt down and pulled a few stray weeds which had sprung up around the grave. "That's better." She felt Jacob reach for her hand to assist her back onto her feet. She smiled at him gratefully.

"I'm glad you suggested coming here today, Bella." Billy wiped at his eyes as a stray tear rolled down his cheek. "It's been too long. I found it hard coming back after Harry passed. I think I may go and visit the old boy while I'm here." He arranged the last of the flowers on his lap before weaving his chair across the grass towards his friend's grave.

Jacob and Bella remained where they were. Jacob had not let go of her hand after helping her to rise and Bella didn't like to pull hers away. He seemed to need the contact. They stood wordlessly side by side as they remembered Sarah Black for the vibrant and amazing soul that she was.

* * *

><p>Back at the house Bella stayed in the kitchen while Billy and Jacob spoke about Sarah and looked through old photo albums. They shared many happy memories that they hadn't revisited for a long time and, when Bella discreetly watched them, she saw them smiling and nodding at each other. There was no heavy sadness as they talked about Sarah, just fond recollections of a wife and mother who was still very much in their hearts to the present day.<p>

It made Bella think of her own mother, Renee. How different she was from the loving woman that Sarah had been? Renee had never grown up, she was a selfish woman, always thinking of her own needs before her daughters. Bella often wondered whether her mother had fought for sole custody on purpose to punish Charlie for wanting to stay in a small town and not cave into her whims. Her happiest memories had been the times she had spent with her father in Forks during the rare times that Renee allowed her to visit. Over the years it had become less and less as Renee moved from town to town, rarely leaving a forwarding address for Charlie. He often had to use his police contacts to track them down.

Bella didn't want to feel bitter. It had been a peaceful and cathartic day. She had enjoyed watching Jacob and Billy open up to each other about Sarah. In a small way she felt like she had achieved something. It was a rare feeling and Bella wanted to keep hold of it. As for her own future, she still had no idea what was going to happen. She had to sort out what she was going to do about school. College would have to be abandoned. She would need to get a job to bring in some money. There was no way she was going to sponge off of her dad, it wasn't fair and Bella needed to feel independent.

"Hey, need any help?" Jacob's voice broke through her thoughts.

Bella stared down at the plate in her hands. She had been in the midst of making some lunch but had totally zoned out. She gave him an embarrassed smile. "Um..yes. Thanks."

"Are you alright?" Jacob asked in concern as he took the plate from her and began to pile bread on it, ready to make some sandwiches.

"I'm fine, just a touch of baby brain." Bella tapped her head.

Jacob gave her one of his sunny smiles and she melted. He was just too sweet and such a paradox. He looked like a grown man of twenty five or so but underneath he had the heart of a mischievous teenager. He had shown himself to be caring and thoughtful and he was certainly handsome...no more like beautiful. Jacob had a grace which Bella couldn't name. The way he was moving silently around the kitchen entranced her. She watched as he made up a load of sandwiches with different fillings and poured them all a glass of fresh orange juice. She was supposed to have been helping him but she had gotten caught up again in her own head. Bella felt her cheeks heat up again and she distracted herself by picking up one of the plates.

"You sure have a hearty appetite." She said in amusement. "Are most of these for you?"

"Hell yeah." Jacob grabbed a sandwich and took a huge bite. "I am a growing boy. I need my fuel."

Bella laughed again. He was so cute. "Come on then, let's give some to Billy before you eat them all."

Jacob winked at her and grabbed another sandwich as she led the way back to the table.

_**A/N-thanks for reading! **_


	7. Chapter 7

**Nine Months **

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

_**A/N-thank you for the awesome reviews. Nikki :)**_

**Part Six**

"Welcome to Forks High, Bella." Principal Green shook her hand and smiled warmly. "We would be very much honoured if you decided to join us. I am a great admirer of your father."

"Thank you." Bella returned his smile. She had arranged to take a quick tour of the school on the off chance that they would have a place for her. She hadn't told Charlie about it; she had made the decision to have a look on the spur of the moment.

"I am sorry I can't show you personally but I have chosen one of our most engaging pupils to show you around. He is an all round academic and good at sports. He captains our small, but well thought of, football team." The principal beamed as Bella grimaced; images of James entering her head. "Come in Mike."

Bella reluctantly turned round to greet the newcomer. In bounced a blonde haired boy of about her own age. The way he greeted her made her think of an overeager puppy. He was harmless and she found herself relaxing. "It's good to meet you, Isabella."

"It's Bella."

"Oh, sorry, Bella." Mike shook her hand and grinned. "I'm Mike Newton. Shall we go?"

"Of course lead the way." Bella said goodbye to the principal and followed Mike out of the office and into the main corridor.

"We'll start with the science labs as they are the closest." Mike chattered as he walked companionably beside her. They reached the first set of doors and he knocked before opening one of them. "This is Biology. Mr Varner takes this class."

Bella peered into the room and glanced at all the pupils lined up facing the teacher. Mr Varner winked at them as he continued on with the lesson. He seemed like a fun teacher, all the kids seemed riveted by his dialogue, not an easy thing to achieve with something like biology. She was just about to leave when her eyes fell on a familiar face, the boy from the gift shop was sitting two rows away from the teacher. His eyes were narrowed as he glared at her. His hand was once again hovering near his nose as if something smelled bad. Bella blushed as she ducked out of the room and closed the door. What was with that guy?

"Mike who is that kid who was glaring at us just now?" She dared to ask.

Mike pulled a face, indicating he didn't think much of the other boy either. "Oh, that's Edward Cullen. Ignore him. He thinks he's above the rest of us. He and his family don't mix, they stay together. They live with their adopted parents. Doctor Cullen works in the hospital."

Cullen? Wasn't that the name of her new doctor? So that was his adopted son. They certainly had the same strange eyes, but she fuzzily recalled that Doctor Cullen had been friendly and receptive. It seemed he hadn't passed his manners onto his son. How rude to glare at her like that? He didn't even know her. Bella tuned Mike out as she contemplated Edward's strange reaction. If he and his family all went to Fork's High, she was going to have to reconsider her options.

* * *

><p>Charlie came home from work to find a crestfallen Bella sitting at the kitchen table, his laptop in front of her. She had asked to borrow it while she searched out her options on how to continue her education during her pregnancy. Well he certainly had some news on that score. "Are you alright, kiddo?" He asked as he shrugged his jacket off.<p>

"I was. I took a tour of Fork's High today." Bella closed the laptop and gave him her full attention.

Charlie froze. "Forks High? You never mentioned you were going there?"

"I just popped in on the off chance. The principal arranged a tour of the school for me." Bella told him.

"You don't want to go there, kiddo." Charlie stated firmly as he pulled off his gun belt and hung it up. He pulled out a chair and sat opposite her.

"Why? It's the closest option." Bella was curious. Why was her father so against it? The principal seemed nice and so did the majority of the other kids. It was only Edward who had ruined the visit for her. Maybe Charlie was ashamed and didn't want his pregnant daughter embarrassing him by mixing with the others? Bella hoped she was wrong.

Charlie fumbled around, trying to come up with a good excuse. He couldn't tell her the truth that there were some undesirables there he didn't want her mixing with. Instead he ignored her question and launched straight into his own good news. "Don't worry about Fork's High, Bells. I have arranged something so much better."

"Is it one of those on-line courses?" Bella said dully. "I've just been looking at those myself."

"No it is not." Charlie huffed. "You don't want to be stuck in here all day by yourself staring at a computer screen. You need to mix and enjoy yourself."

"You make no sense." Bella was completely bewildered now.

Charlie smiled at her benevolently. "This afternoon I was in a meeting with the elders of the Quileute tribe and Billy. I asked them a special favour. They don't do this for just anyone, kiddo. This is a special privilege."

Her father was being very cryptic. Bella was becoming impatient. "Go on?" She urged him.

"Tomorrow you start at the tribal school to complete your education." Charlie declared theatrically. "I think it is the best option. Jake and others you know will be there to keep an eye on you and the little one. You won't have to start a completely new school not knowing anyone. I know he won't be in your classes, but he will be around at lunch. I'm sure that you'll find new friends right away anyway, kiddo. You're very bright like that..."

Bella got out of her seat and ran round the table so she could hug her father. He wasn't ashamed of her, she was totally wrong. He had just been thinking of her and her baby's welfare. She threw her arms around him and thanked him over and over. Charlie patted her back awkwardly, his smile widening in delight at her reaction.

* * *

><p>Jacob had offered to come and collect Bella and take her to school but Charlie had refused him, insisting that he wanted to take his little girl himself. Billy reminded him that Bella wasn't five anymore, but Charlie had just ignored him. He was proud to take his only daughter to school, he had never been able to before. It was just another thing Renee had taken from him. Bella hid her embarrassment about being dropped off not only by her parent, but in the police cruiser, which stood out like a sore thumb in the parking lot.<p>

Bella quickly climbed out of the car and slung her bag over her shoulder. She tried to ignore the interested stares of the other kids as they filed to the small building which housed the school. Unfortunately Charlie wasn't done yet. He got out too and handed Bella a lunch box filled full of nutritious snacks which he had read on-line were good for the growing baby inside her.

"Thanks dad." Bella mumbled, her fair skin turning red as she heard the others snickering as they passed. "I better head inside."

"I can show you where the principals office is, kiddo." Charlie offered.

"Please dad, I'll be fine from here." Bella gave him a pleading glance which finally got through to him.

"Oh right." He gave her a sheepish smile and got back in the cruiser. "I'll be back to pick you up after school."

"You don't have do that..." Bella began to say, but it was too late, Charlie had pulled away and didn't hear her. "Great!"

"Aww the ickle babby has to have her dadda drop her off." A female's voice sneered.

Bella whizzed round, nearly tripping over her own feet as she did so. A quileute girl of about her own age stood behind her. She was pretty apart from the nasty expression she was pulling. Her black, silky hair was pulled up high on her head and she was wearing way too much make up, spoiling her good looks. "Where's your dummy?" She began to laugh, setting off some other girls who were obviously her hangers on.

Before Bella could think of a suitable retort, Jacob suddenly appeared behind the group of girls. "I see you forgot your broomstick today Jessica." He said mildly as he yanked on her ponytail.

"Get off." Jessica snapped as she pulled her ponytail out of Jacob's hold. "This is none of your business."

"Oh it is." Jacob's voice was no longer friendly. "Back off and take your little witches with you."

Jessica glared at him, then Bella, before flouncing off with the other girls trailing behind her. Bella couldn't help but notice the many admiring glances being thrown Jacob's way from the girls as they left. Even bitchy Jessica had her eyes glued to his butt.

"Trust me to run into the head bitch on my first day." Bella sighed and adjusted her bag on her shoulder.

"Oh that's just Jess, she's all mouth. Ignore her." Jacob gave her a sunny grin before taking her bag from her.

"You don't need to do that." Bella smiled at him.

"I'm a gentleman remember?" Jacob reached out and took her hand, lacing his fingers with hers. Bella was surprised at how easily he did it. Since they had visited his mother's grave and spent further time together, he would often take her hand. It was as easy as breathing. He was such an adorable boy...no man. "Come on I'll take you to the office and get you settled in."

Bella felt relieved that he was taking charge. She walked beside him, doing her best to ignore the whispers and stares from the other kids. Jacob was so tall that he really stood out, and of course she was the only pale face in the school, so she stood out too. There was also the fact that he was the chief's son and by the look on a lot of the girl's faces as she passed them, extremely lusted after. Bella felt she had already made a lot of enemies among the girls, just by being friend's with him.

Before they had even reached the office, Quil and Embry caught up with them. Quil immediately gave Bella a theatrical bow, calling her _my lady. _It was now a running joke between them. Embry cuffed Quil around the back of his head as he winked at her. Bella laughed at them, they were so funny. Jacob exchanged easy banter with his friends until they finally reached the office.

"I'm going to have to leave you here." Jacob said regretfully as the bell went.

"That's okay. Thanks for walking me here. All of you." Bella flashed them all a grateful smile.

"No problem, sweetness." Quil bowed again, earning himself another smack on the back of his head from Jacob this time.

"Yes think of us as your personal bodyguards." Embry grinned at her.

"I am one lucky lady." Bella giggled as Embry and Quil both winked at her before walking off to class.

"See you at lunch, Bella." They called out.

Jacob rolled his eyes at his friends behavior. He took both of Bella's hands in his and squeezed them. "Sorry about them. If you need anything come find me, okay?"

"I will and thanks again, Jake."

"No problem." Jacob smiled at her again before swiftly leaning down and kissing her on the cheek. "See you at lunch." He said as he dropped her hands and began to walk away.

Bella's hand flew to her cheek as she touched the warm spot where his lips had grazed her skin. She stood there in awe until he was completely out of sight.

_**A/N-thanks for reading! **_


	8. Chapter 8

**Nine Months**

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

_**A/N-thanks for awesome reviews. Nikki :)**_

**Part Seven**

Life settled into a steady routine for Bella. She attended the tribal school every day; Jake would pick her up. She had finally persuaded her dad that this was for the best, taking her was making him late for work. Charlie gave Jake money for the extra gas he was using and it was win win for all of them. Bella enjoyed being picked up by Jacob every morning in his little red car. She had become quite fond of the Rabbit and eagerly looked out of the front window every morning for Jacob to arrive. It was always a fun journey to school, Jacob usually had a funny story to tell her, normally involving the hapless Quil, who seemed to get into countless scrapes. She would arrive at school relaxed and ready for the day.

The only downside was Jessica and her cronies. Jealousy was obviously the root cause of the other girl's nastiness. It was well known that she had designs on the chief's son. She had been hoping that Jacob would invite her to the upcoming school dance, but since Bella's arrival in his life, he had no time for Jessica or any of the other girls who had the hots for him. Rumours began to circulate about why Bella was being_ protected _by the chief's son and his friends. There had to be an underlying reason and it seemed that Jessica more than anybody was determined to find out. Bella knew that once she started to show that it would add fuel to the rumours. She asked Jacob about it but he just laughed and told her not to worry. In the end Bella decided to just take his lead and let the kids at school think what they wanted.

It was now the weekend again and Bella was approaching eight weeks. She had a slight bulge in her abdomen but was not really showing much. She could hide it with floaty tops. She had been back every week for a check up. Thankfully Doctor Cullen had not been in evidence. A nurse had done the superficial checks instead. However when it came for her twelve week scan the nurse had told her that Doctor Cullen would be performing that personally. Bella didn't know how she felt about that. She was half considering asking for another doctor, but what reason could she give? Doctor Cullen had been polite and courteous. She couldn't hold his son's attitude against him.

Bella had a long lay in on the Saturday morning and then took a long, relaxing bath. When she came downstairs she found a note from Charlie to remind her that he and Billy had gone fishing for the day. She had forgotten. Bella sighed, Jacob was busy doing some tribal thing so she was alone for the day. Her biggest regret was not being able to make any other friends at the school. All the girls seemed wary of her because of the poisonous rumours that Jessica had circulated. Bella made herself some toast and sat down at the kitchen table as she pondered what to do with her day. She didn't want to stay indoors, it was not raining for a change and she felt like a walk. She quickly finished her toast and grabbed her rain jacket. An easy stroll would do her some good.

The main high street was very small and Bella soon tired of looking in the familiar stores. She came out of the gift shop with yet another bracelet to add to her collection and walked slowly past the diner, admiring the new bracelet on her wrist.

"Bella! Bella Swan!" The loud voice calling her name made her look up; hanging out of the diner's window and waving wildly was a boy about her own age with blonde hair. She vaguely recognized him but couldn't remember his name.

"Hey Bella, it's me Mike Newton, from Fork's High, remember?" The boy called out again.

"Oh yeah, hi." She waved back at him.

"I'm having a coffee, want to join me?" Mike called out to her eagerly.

Bella shrugged, why not? There was nothing else to do. She smiled at him and headed into the diner and joined him. He was sitting in a private booth by himself. He had obviously just finished a large breakfast. Bella slid in opposite him. "How did you see me?" She asked.

"Oh I often look out of the window at passers-by while I eat." Mike gave her a friendly smile. "How do you take your coffee?"

"White with two sugars." Bella told him.

"Awesome." Mike waved to one of the waitresses and gave her Bella's order. He then turned his attention back to Bella. "I'm glad I saw you, it was a shame you didn't come to the school. I was looking forward to seeing you every day."

Bella blushed a little at his enthusiasm. It was obvious by the look on Mike's face that he had developed a little crush. "Yeah well...I ended up at the reservation school."

"Really?" Mike was surprised at this news. "I thought it was only for the quileutes."

"Well it is, but my dad is friend's with the chief, and as I had already made friends with some of the kids there, it was decided I could attend and finish my education at the tribal school." Bella's coffee arrived. She picked up the cup and took a sip of the warm liquid.

"Oh, still you would have liked Fork's High." Mike seemed crestfallen. "You could have seen me play."

"Yeah that's a shame." Bella lied. The last thing she wanted to do was watch any kind of sport. It reminded her too much of James.

"Mind you, we have a match next Friday." Mike suddenly perked up. "You could come and watch and I could take you to the after school dance as my date. What do you say?"

"Um..." Bella fumbled around for an excuse. He had taken her completely by surprise. Why was it that her mind went blank when she needed to find a plausible reason not to go?

Mike took her silence as a yes. He beamed at her. "That's settled then. You'll love it, Bella. You can meet some of my friends. I told them all about you that day I showed you around."

"You did?" Bella frowned. That was a bit over the top wasn't it? They only spoke for the duration of the tour. She began to wonder if it wasn't a coincidence that Mike happened to be sitting alone in the diner this morning. Surely he hadn't been staking out the high street in case she happened to come by? No...Bella dismissed this thought. She was getting paranoid. She decided to make the best of a bad situation. It was only one night. Perhaps it would give her a chance to make some more friends around the area. "Well that's nice of you."

They arranged a time for Mike to pick her up on the Friday and then talked for a little longer until Bella finished her coffee and made the excuse that she had to get home to meet her dad. Mike walked her back to the house and then wrote down his cell number. Bella reluctantly gave him hers, and before she could stop him, Mike planted a kiss on her cheek before cheerily calling out goodbye. Bella stared after him in stunned silence until he was out of sight before pulling a face and vigorously rubbing her cheek.

* * *

><p>Bella spent the rest of the day indoors catching up with her homework before deciding to blitz the house in a cleaning frenzy. She coughed as dust flew up around her, Charlie wasn't the most avid cleaner. A quick lick and a promise was all he managed. Bella got stuck right into it and before she knew it, the time had flown by and evening was drawing in. She packed all the cleaning utensils away and decided to start dinner. As usual all that was in the freezer was a ton of fish, and as Charlie would be coming back with more, Bella thought she had better use up some of the stuff they already had. She soon rustled up a fish pie and shoved it in the oven, along with some vegetables.<p>

Pleased with her day's work, Bella was about to head upstairs to wash up while dinner was cooking, when there was a knock at the door. "Dammit." She groaned. Who the hell could that be? Reluctantly she went to answer the door.

She wrenched the door open to find the last person she expected to see. Standing on the top step with a pensive smile on his face and a bunch of flowers in his hand was none other than Edward Cullen.

* * *

><p>Bella was completely shocked. What the hell was he doing here? She glared at him, not bothering with niceties. She was still smarting over his offensive attitude. She heard him clear his throat before handing her the flowers. Bella took them from him reluctantly. "Are they to cover my bad smell?" She said ungraciously.<p>

"I deserved that." Edward conceded. "In truth they are my way of apologizing for my lack of manners the two times that we have crossed paths. Believe me I am not usually so rude. You just caught me at a bad time. I sincerely apologize and hope you accept these flowers."

Bella studied him for a moment, by the contrite look on his face he did seem very sincere. She decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. "Okay, thank you."

Edward smiled at her, making the corners of his eyes crinkle as his mouth turned upwards. Bella noticed that his eyes seemed lighter than the last time she had seen him. The dark circles that underscored them were almost gone. Maybe he had been telling the truth. Perhaps lack of sleep had made him moody. "You have been very kind." He put his hands in the pockets of his expensive jeans and shuffled nervously.

"Is there anything else?" Bella didn't feel like inviting him in. She was feeling tired.

"Yes. I was wondering whether you would be interested in coming out with me sometime? That way I could make it up to you completely." He flashed her another smile.

Bella was taken aback at this offer. It was bad enough she had gotten roped into a date with Mike Newton, now Edward Cullen was asking her out? What a joke! "I can't, sorry." She babbled quickly. "I already have a date."

"With who?" Edward's smile disappeared and he frowned.

"Mike Newton." Bella said quickly. "Look thanks for the flowers but I really have to go. Um...bye." She quickly closed the door on him before he could say anything else.

* * *

><p>The fish pie was almost cooked when Bella came down after freshening up in the shower. Her wet hair was piled up on the top of her head as she bent down and opened the stove to check the pie. Just as she reached into the stove to pull the pie out and let it cool, the front door was busted open, startling her. Bella dropped the pie on the floor and whirled round, her hand clutching her chest as her heart beat frantically. To her astonishment, Jacob followed by Quil and Embry, burst into the kitchen. Their eyes were wild as they sniffed the air. Jacob came straight to Bella and grabbed her into a tight bear hug.<p>

"Oh honey, thank god you're not harmed. I was shit scared." He buried his head in the crook of her neck as he held her.

Quil and Embry had disappeared, Bella could hear them thundering around the house as if checking each room for intruders. What the hell was going on? She pushed against Jacob until he released her. He carefully placed her back onto her feet but kept hold of her hands.

"He's not here." Embry announced as he came back into the kitchen followed by Quil. "But I smelt him in her room. Fuck knows how many times he's been in there."

Jacob's eyes darkened at this piece of news. Bella could feel his hands beginning to shake. She peered up at him in alarm. "Jake, what's going on?" She begged him.

_**A/N-thanks for reading! **_


	9. Chapter 9

**Nine Months **

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

_**A/N-thank you for the awesome reviews. Nikki :)**_

**Part Eight **

Bella locked eyes with Jacob. He suddenly seemed lost for words. Over his shoulder she saw Quil and Embry raising their eyebrows at each other. She crossed her arms when Jacob didn't speak. What was the big mystery? And who did they mean had been in her room countless times? She hadn't seen anyone. She was a light sleeper, she was sure she would have known.

"Well, are you ever going to speak?"

"Look Bells, this is not going to make a lot of sense but..." Jacob began.

"Hey man, I can hear Charlie. He's just parked the cruiser." Quil interrupted his friend before Jacob could speak further.

"Jake I'm waiting." Bella saw him glance uneasily behind him.

They heard Charlie swear as he saw the damage to the front door, then seconds later he emerged into view; his gun in his hand as he began to check for intruders. He was surprised to see Quil Embry and Jacob crowded in the kitchen, along with his daughter. "What the hell has been going on here?" He demanded.

"That's what I've been trying to find out." Bella complained. "I was making dinner then these three burst in nearly giving me a heart attack."

Charlie studied Jacob carefully. He put his gun away once he saw the worried look on the young man's face. "Why don't we go outside for a little chat, Jake?" He nodded his head toward the door meaningfully before turning his attention back to Bella. "We won't be long. Why don't you finish getting dinner."

"The dinner is covering the floor." Bella snapped. "I want to know what is going on."

"Bells please." Charlie pleaded with her. "Just leave it for now, okay."

Bella pouted before bending down to begin scraping the fish pie off of the floor. Embry hurried to help her while Jacob went outside with Charlie. Quil hovered in the kitchen doorway listening in to the conversation between the police chief and his friend.

"You sure it was him?" Charlie's face was grim as he listened to Jacob's rushed explanation.

"Definitely. What's worse he was in her room, Charlie, without her knowledge." Jacob's body began to shake at the thought. He closed his eyes to try and calm his wolf.

"Alright son, calm down." Charlie rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he pondered what to do. "He's overstepped the mark. I'm going to pay a visit to the Cullen family. This is not on, not on at all."

"I'll come with you." Jacob finally regained control of his emotions.

"No, I want you to stay right here and look after Bella in case that little creep comes sniffing around. I'll take Quil and Embry with me. This is that family's last chance. If that Doctor can't keep control of his coven then we will need to run them out of town. I won't have them coming near Bella again. Fuck it." Charlie swore again. His fear that the son of a bitch had been in his daughter's room made him feel nauseous. What had he been after? Was he spying? If so why? He couldn't be after Bella surely? So many questions were running around Charlie's head that it was giving him a headache.

"Are you alright, Charlie?" Jacob asked in concern.

"Not really." Charlie forced himself to get it together. He needed his wits about him if he was going to face down the head of the Cullen's. He could be a slippery character. Carlisle Cullen may be beloved up at the hospital by the staff there, but Charlie knew his true nature. All this bullshit about being vegetarian didn't sit well with him. Blood was blood, no matter how you drank it. He felt sick again at the thought. It was all beyond his comprehension. "I need to have a quick word with Bells before I head out."

"Okay." Jacob followed Charlie back into the house.

* * *

><p>"He just turned up with a bunch of flowers and apologized for his attitude." Bella was completely mystified as to why she was suddenly being interrogated about Edward Cullen.<p>

"Attitude? You've been in contact with him before?" Charlie was outraged. Had the little bastard been stalking his daughter longer than they had all thought?

"I've seen him twice. Once at the gift shop and once when I toured Fork's High. Each time he acted like a tool." Bella looked between them all. What was the big deal? "He's weird dad, honestly I have no interest in him whatsoever. I turned him down when he asked me for a date."

"He asked you for a date?" It was Jacob who spoke this time. He was livid. How could the bloodsucker have the audacity to approach Bella in this way? What was he thinking? Was he trying to lure her somewhere remote so that he could...Jacob had to lock that thought down otherwise he would phase in the house.

"Yes, he did. I turned him down like I just told you. What is going on here?" She was beyond exasperated now.

"That boy and his family are trouble, kiddo. I want you to have nothing to do with them. From now on you will not be left on your own while I'm not at the house. You'll go to Billy's after school until I can collect you. I don't want you leaving this house without me, Jake or one of the others." Charlie ordered her.

"What am I under house arrest now? This is ridiculous. I don't understand..."

"Bells, just do as I ask." Charlie rubbed his forehead. He was definitely getting a headache. "Look I have to go and sort something out. I'm leaving Jake here with you. Please just do as he says, okay and don't ask questions."

Bella glared at her father as she watched him gesture for Quil and Embry to follow him out of the house. She wasn't happy about being kept in the dark, something awfully strange was going on here, and despite her father pleading with her to be careful, she was determined to find out.

* * *

><p>Bella shoved the plate of fries in front of Jacob. Now the fish pie was a lost cause she had just heated up some fast food in the oven. He gave her a sheepish smile as he began to slowly eat. Bella sat opposite him with her own plate and she ignored him as she pushed her fries around with her finger.<p>

"You need to eat." Jacob said cautiously.

"And you need to tell me what is really going on here!" Bella retorted, finally looking at him for the first time since the others had left.

Jacob sighed. He ate another couple of fries before answering. "I want to, but I can't. Have you ever had a secret that you've not been able to tell anyone?"

"No." Bella snapped.

"You don't know how tightly I'm bound, Bells. It's bigger than just me and affects so many people." Jacob reached out for her hand but she snatched it away from him.

"It affects me too it seems." Bella was not in a forgiving mood. She trusted Jacob and she felt like he was letting her down by keeping her in the dark.

"We all just want you safe." Jacob pleaded. "Can you please just have a little faith?"

Bella wouldn't meet his eyes. She was feeling too disappointed in him. She shoved her plate toward him and stood up. "You have those. I've lost my appetite. I'll be up in my room." With those parting words she left the kitchen.

* * *

><p>Bella lay on her bed and stared up at the ceiling. She felt very down. The last few weeks had been great. She had felt settled here, living with her father. She had begun to trust a man again, especially after her experience with James. Jacob hiding stuff really upset her. It put a dent in her new found feelings for him. He had been so great thus far. He had befriended a pregnant girl; gone out of his way to put her at ease and look after her. Bella had never known that. All through her childhood she had felt isolated and aloof from others. Jacob had changed all that in the few weeks she had been living in Forks. Now it was all ruined because he didn't trust her like she trusted him. That hurt more than she could fathom.<p>

It had only been the last week or so that Bella had really begun to explore her feelings for Jacob Black. At first she had lied to herself, insisting that what she felt for him was purely platonic friendship, but that was not true. She was attracted to him. Seeing the other girls at school lusting after him daily had brought her jealousy to the fore and made her examine her true emotions. Bella knew it would never go anywhere. She was pregnant with another man's child. Soon she would have a whole world of responsibility. Jacob was just being kind, he wouldn't want to tie himself down to a girl with a young baby. He had a whole life ahead of him. She had just clung to the hope that they would remain friends and she would at least have him in her life that way. But now this had happened. None of them really trusted her with the truth, and one thing Bella hated was lies. She knew now she couldn't stay here. She would have to move on. But where?

_**A/N-thanks for reading! **_


	10. Chapter 10

**Nine Months **

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

_**A/N-thank you for the awesome reviews. Nikki :)**_

**Part Nine**

Charlie was incensed. The Cullen's had got away with it again. He had arrived at their palatial home with Quil and Embry in tow, ready to give the so called doctor a piece of his mind, only to find the house empty. He had then placed a call to the hospital to see if the coven leader was at work, but no, Carlisle Cullen and his_ family _had gone on a camping trip and wouldn't be back for five days. Charlie had nearly crushed his phone in his hand, if he had been a wolf it would have been in pieces.

"How convenient." He raged to Quil and Embry.

"The little psychic must have seen you coming." Embry mused as he glared up at the pretentious white mansion.

"Evidently." Charlie muttered. "Well they will be back and they won't be able to avoid me then."

"And we'll be right here with you, chief." Quil promised.

Charlie gave both young men a grim smile. He planned on having more than just Quil and Embry with him next time. He was going to talk to Sam and have the whole damn pack phased and ready to attack if the doctor or any of his so called family stepped one tippy toe out of line.

* * *

><p>Monday morning and Jacob arrived at the Swan house as usual to pick Bella up to take her to school. He watched as Charlie escorted his daughter out of the house and over to the car. Bella's face was inscrutable. She had her school bag clutched in her arms as she slid in the seat next to him. Charlie closed the passenger door and tried to say goodbye to Bella, but she pursed her lips and deliberately ignored him. Jacob sighed as he waved at Charlie and pulled out of the drive.<p>

Bella refused to speak to Jacob properly on the way to La Push. When he tried to engage her in conversation she would only give one word answers and refuse to look his way. By the time they reached the school he'd had enough. He parked up the car and switched off the engine. Bella began to open her door but he reached across and slammed it shut again before she could escape.

"What are you doing?" She snapped.

"What are you doing?" He threw her question back at her. "I am sick of the tension, Bells. I know you're pissed at me, so let's talk it out."

Bella glared at him as she hugged her bag to her chest. It must have been filled with textbooks the way the sides of the bag were bulging out. "Are you going to tell me what is really going on? No more cryptic answers and half truths?"

Jacob squirmed. He wished he could just blurt out the damn truth but Charlie was insistent that he didn't want his daughter burdened with the supernatural. He was worried that she either wouldn't accept the explanation and run away or she could panic and the baby would be in distress. Jacob could understand Charlie's fears, but the way things were going Bella was going to explode. He gripped the steering wheel tightly with his fingers. "I can't tell you anymore than I already have." He muttered.

"Then we have nothing more to say to each other." Bella's voice was full of bitterness as she spoke. She turned away from him and opened the door. This time he didn't bother to stop her.

* * *

><p>"Here comes the little pale faced princess." Jessica's sneering tone greeted Bella as she stepped through the doors to the school. Great! Just what she needed. She waltzed past clutching her bag tightly in her arms as she tried to ignore the other girl. No such luck. "Where's your bodyguards now? Has the chief's son finally dumped your skinny ass?"<p>

Bella froze. She felt tears prick at her eyes. She cursed under her breath as she tried to hold back the tears. With her hormones all over the place she seemed to burst into tears at any given moment. Bella was sick of trying to hold things together. Her school bag was stuffed with a change of clothes and what was left of her college money. She had been intending to wait until break to slip away from the school. It was her only chance without Jake and the others being with her, but after this she decided to leave right then. There was no point in dragging things out further.

Taking a deep breath Bella did an about turn and walked back past Jessica. "He's all yours bitch." She snapped before fleeing the school, tears streaming down her face.

* * *

><p>Bella sneaked around to the back of the school and pulled out her cell phone. She had tried to ring her mom the night before but had got no reply. She pleaded in her head for Renee to answer the phone now, she needed to see if she could come back home, at least for a short while until she decided what to do next. After what seemed an eternity Renee finally picked up.<p>

"Hello." Her voice sounded strange.

"Mom?" Bella said uncertainly.

"Baby girl is that you?" Renee screamed the words down the phone making Bella wince.

"Yes it's me."

"Where the hell have you been?" Renee yelled at her.

"I e-mailed you to tell you that I was staying with dad." Bella reminded her.

"I never got it." Renee sniffed, her words sounded slurred.

"Mom, have you been drinking?" Bella asked suspiciously.

"A glass or two. Don't lecture me baby girl. It's too early for that." Renee whined.

Bella sighed. This hadn't been a great idea but what other choice did she have? Her options were now very limited. "Can I come home, please?"

"What has the great police chief chucked you out already?" Renee spat sarcastically. "I guessed he would be ashamed. I told you to get rid of it that's the only way. No man will want you with a child in tow. I should know. Look how many left me once they found you hanging onto me."

Renee's words were like knives to Bella's heart. She actually shuddered as her mother continued on with her rant, her words becoming ever more incomprehensible. "You ruined my life. I had everything going for me, but when you came along I was chained to that damn house. You were nothing but a burden do you hear me, Bella? If you keep that baby then you'll know exactly what hell I went through rearing you..."

Bella hung up, she couldn't take anymore. With her back resting against the wall of the school, she slid to the ground, her head dropping into her hands as she began to cry as if her heart would break.

* * *

><p>Eventually she had to pull herself together. Bella lurched to her feet and wiped a hand across her reddened eyes. She couldn't stay here any longer, someone would see, and her opportunity to escape before Jake and his friends found out would be lost. She pulled out her college money and pulled off the elastic band which was holding it together. There was still at least five hundred dollars left. Not a fortune but something. Maybe she could find a small motel somewhere and find a job, any job, while she tried to sort her head out.<p>

Renee's cruel words echoed around her tired brain as she trudged away from the school toward the main road that led out of La Push. For the moment it was deserted and she was glad. It meant that she didn't have to interact with anyone or wipe away the tears that had begun to flow down her cheeks again. Maybe her mother was right? What chance did she have thinking she could bring up a baby on her own? She had no home to go to, hardly any money, no prospects, nothing. All the confidence that she had begun to feel since coming back to live with Charlie seeped away. He didn't trust her enough to tell her what was going on. Her trust in Jacob had been shattered as he continued to shut her out. She had told him everything and now when she thought they were at a place where they were really close friends, he refused to tell her what was really going on.

Bella was feeling very sorry for herself. Years spent on the wrong end of her mother's temper had given her low self esteem. She had lived a peripatetic life; drifting from one small town after another because Renee could never settle anywhere for long. It gave her no chance to make friends or put down roots. She really didn't have a friend in the world. How pathetic was that?

It began to rain as she continued on her way. Before long she was soaked to the skin. Bella pulled her hood up over head and hugged her heavy bag closer to her chest. The journey to La Push had seemed short in the car, but walking was taking forever. She heard a car pull up beside her and she pushed her hood to the side as the driver called out to her.

"Do you want a ride?" It was a female. The car was an old battered Ford, but the woman looked friendly enough. Bella couldn't see her eyes because she was wearing sunglasses, which was odd because the sun wasn't out. The woman's most striking feature was her long, curly red hair.

"Are you sure?" Bella asked, desperate now to get out of the driving rain.

"Of course." The woman smiled. "Get in."

"Thank you." Bella ran round to the passenger side and slipped into the car.

"Where are you headed?" The woman asked when Bella was safely strapped in.

"Forks." Bella told her.

"Cool. My name is Victoria by the way." She flashed Bella another blinding smile. She had perfectly white teeth. "And you?"

"Bella."

"Well Bella, let's go." Victoria licked her lips before putting her foot down hard on the accelerator and speeding away.

* * *

><p>"She didn't turn up for any of her classes." Jacob was frantic with worry. He, Embry and Quil had searched the whole school looking for Bella but there was no sign of her.<p>

"Are you sure Charlie didn't take her somewhere?" Quil asked.

"No." Jacob ran a hand agitatedly through his hair. "This is all my damn fault. She was pissed because I wouldn't tell her what was going on. She must have split as soon as I dropped her off. Fuck it."

"Calm down Jake before you phase in front of the whole school." Embry warned him. "We'll find her. Let's just take a moment to breathe then we can try and track her."

Jacob closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Trust Embry to be the voice of reason, but then he wasn't in love like Jacob was. Yes he could admit it to himself now, he was in love. It wasn't just a crush like the others teased him about. This was the real thing. His heart would beat painfully in his chest when he was apart from Bella and leap with joy when he was with her. He dreamed about her at night and she was on his mind constantly when he was awake. He would never forgive himself if anything happened because he had listened to others and not respected Bella's wishes. She had placed her faith in him and he had let her down by not just trusting that she could cope with the truth.

"We'll start from the school entrance. You saw her go in, right?" Embry's voice pierced Jacob's thoughts.

"Yeah, I saw her go through the doors."

"Maybe she sneaked back out again when you weren't looking. Come on." Embry led the way to the school's entrance.

* * *

><p>They managed to track Bella's scent all the way round to the side of the school building than away toward the main road. It seemed that she had just left after all. Jacob remembered how overly packed Bella's school bag had been. She must have been planning this since he picked her up this morning. He felt sick inside. If only he had opened up to her like she had wanted him to, then maybe she would still be here. They all hurried down the main road as they followed her scent; about half way down it petered out and seemed to disappear into thin air.<p>

"This can't be right?" Jacob inhaled deeply as he looked wildly to and fro.

"Maybe she headed into the forest?" Quil suggested.

"Why would she do that?" Embry frowned. "Unless someone picked her up."

"Who?" Quil put his hand on Jacob's shoulder as his friend began to shake as he fought the urge to phase.

They all looked at each other stricken. "I need to call Charlie." Jacob felt sick to his stomach as he pulled out his cell and rang the station.

_**A/N-thanks for reading! **_


	11. Chapter 11

**Nine Months**

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

_**A/N-thank you so much for the awesome reviews. Nikki :)**_

**Part Ten**

"You've been crying." Victoria glanced at Bella as she drove toward Forks.

"Is it that obvious?" Bella wiped her cheeks vigorously with her hands.

"I bet it's a man. Am I right?" Victoria arched one perfectly manicured brow.

"What makes you think that?"

"Oh honey it always is. Did he cheat on you? Leave you pregnant and alone, maybe?"

Her words startled Bella, she stared at the older woman. "Why did you say that?"

Victoria gave a throaty laugh. "You've been stroking your stomach ever since you got into the car. How far along are you?"

Bella smiled wryly. "A few weeks."

"Any support at home?"

"Yes..." Bella felt tears prick at her eyes as she thought about her dad and Jacob.

"Sooo why the tears then, sweetheart?" Victoria glanced at her again, confusion clear in her voice.

"It's complicated." Bella hung her head so that her hair swept around her face, hiding her expression.

"Oh it usually is." Victoria slowed down when they reached the junction heading into Forks. "Hey, why don't we stop at that diner over there and grab some food? I've been on the road for hours, I wouldn't mind a break. What do you say?"

The woman's kind suggestion made Bella smile for the first time in hours. How was it that this complete stranger was being so supportive when her own mother said such wicked things? Bella wiped at her face again. "I think that would be great." She agreed.

Victoria flashed her a big smile before pulling into the diner's car park.

* * *

><p>Charlie flew out of his office after his talk with Jacob. He was angry at himself. He knew that Bella was upset with him and Jacob for concealing things from her, but he just hoped that over time she would get over her pique and forgive them. He had her best interests at heart. He hadn't wanted to burden Bella with the knowledge that they shared living space with the supernatural. He thought she had been through enough already. Charlie also worried that she would not believe him or worse just take off because she couldn't handle the real truth. But look what had happened, she had taken off anyway. He ran outside and and got into his cruiser, praying in his head all the while that he would be able to track her down before she got into any sort of trouble or disappeared from his life completely.<p>

* * *

><p>Jacob, Embry and Quil had phased and were on their way to Forks. They thought it would be quicker this way rather than waiting for Charlie to join them. On the way they kept a look out for Bella and sniffed the air, hoping to catch her scent. Jacob's head was filled with worry and despair. He was so angry at himself. Why had he listened to others? He knew how upset Bella had been, but he had kept faith with what Charlie had wanted rather than trusting his own judgement. If, no when, they found Bella he was going to apologize and tell her all she wanted to know. No more secrets.<p>

* * *

><p>Bella and Victoria sat in a private booth after ordering some food. Bella had opted for the salad while Victoria had ordered fries and a burger. She rubbed her stomach playfully. "I haven't eaten for hours, I am so going to enjoy this."<p>

"Where are you heading to?" Bella asked her with interest as she sipped at her water.

"I have absolutely no idea." Victoria suddenly seemed deflated. She fiddled with her sunglasses.

"You can take them off now we're in here." Bella said, wondering why Victoria was wearing dark glasses anyway.

"That wouldn't be a good idea, honey." Victoria replied.

"Why not?"

"Remember what I said about men usually being the reason behind every woman's problems?"

"Yeah." Bella took another sip of her water as she looked at Victoria curiously.

"Well I'm kinda on the run." Victoria pulled her sunglasses down a little and Bella gasped as she saw the huge black bruises that surrounded Victoria's blue eyes.

"Who did that to you?" Bella whispered as Victoria pushed her sunglasses back up her nose.

"My husband, Jeremy Ethan Jones." Victoria told her bitterly. "A very big deal in my small town and not someone who it's a good idea to cross. This is just one of many beatings I've suffered at his hands. It took me a while but I managed to sneak away this time, bought an old car and got the hell away from him."

"I am so sorry." Suddenly Bella's problems seemed small and petty compared to this woman's. "Why didn't you go to the police?"

"Yeah right. Jeremy has them in his pocket. I wouldn't get any help from them." Victoria stared out of the window at the rain that was still falling from the grey skies. "No my best bet is to keep moving so that he can't track me down."

Their food arrived at this point putting an end to any more conversation.

* * *

><p>Charlie was driving past the diner when he happened to glance toward the building; to his surprise he saw his daughter's outline framed by the overhead lights in the large window as she sat across from a woman in one of the booths. He braked hard and swung the car around into the car park. He didn't get out straight away as he wanted to catch his breath. His heart was beating at a hundred miles an hour. He had been so worried, thinking that he would never see his daughter again after just reconnecting with her. He watched for a while as Bella ate the food she had in front of her. He had no idea who the woman was. She was very attractive though with all that curly red hair. It seemed on fire under the harsh lighting of the diner. Charlie wondered how old she was. She seemed thirty maybe a bit younger. It was hard to tell. How had Bella hooked up with her?<p>

All these thoughts were fleeting as he pulled out his cell and sent a text to Jacob, telling him that the panic was over and he had located Bella at the diner. He told him to come straight there. Charlie then put his cell away and finally climbed out of the cruiser and made his way inside.

* * *

><p>Bella was stunned when she saw her dad suddenly appear beside her. She dropped her knife and fork, her mouth hanging open as she looked up at him. He was red in the face and he was frowning. "I have been looking for you everywhere young lady." He snapped.<p>

"Dad I...I..." Bella couldn't speak. She didn't know what to say.

Victoria looked between them. She guessed this must be Bella's father. "Perhaps you should sit down sir." She suggested with a smile.

"And who might you be?" Charlie turned his attention to the attractive redhead.

"Victoria Jones." She held out her hand.

Charlie took it and shook it firmly. "Charles Swan." He said formally. "Bella's father."

"Nice to meet you. Please join us. Bella has been kind enough to keep me company while I have something to eat." Victoria gestured for Charlie to sit down again.

He reluctantly obliged. He slid in next to Bella and glanced at her. "You should be at school, kiddo."

"I know." Bella mumbled. "I just needed to... I don't know...have some time out."

"I'm just going to visit the ladies room." Victoria said discreetly. She patted Bella's hand before leaving the two of them alone.

"Were you running away, Bells?" Charlie saw her bulging school bag. The way her face paled gave him his answer. "I know you are angry but running off is not the answer. I would rather you come and yell at me or something."

"I'm sorry." Easy tears began to run down her cheeks. "I was just so upset. No one would tell me anything. I just...I was hurt that none of you trust me."

"Oh, Bells." Charlie pulled her into a comforting hug as she began to sob. "I was just trying to protect you. You are dealing with enough already. I want you to feel safe."

"I do feel safe. I'm sorry, so sorry." Bella's words were almost incomprehensible as she continued to cry.

"Hush now, it's all okay." Charlie kissed the top of her head before releasing her. "How did you meet Victoria?"

Bella wiped her eyes with one of the paper napkins. "She kindly offered me a lift. I got caught out in the rain."

"Bells, you shouldn't get into cars with complete strangers." Charlie chided her.

"I know, I wasn't thinking. But Victoria is so nice." Bella gushed. "You'll like her dad."

Before Charlie could answer Victoria returned. She slid back into her seat and smiled at them both uncertainly. "Everything okay now?"

"Yes, thank you for looking out for Bella." Charlie said gruffly.

"My pleasure, she's a sweet girl." Victoria patted Bella's hand again in a motherly fashion. "Well I better hit the road."

"No." Bella cried out. "You can't keep running. Why don't you stay here?"

"Running?" Charlie narrowed his eyes as he stared at Victoria. It finally dawned on him that she was wearing sunglasses; a classic sign. "Who hit you?"

"Please." Victoria was flustered now. "I have to go." She reached for her own bag.

They were all interrupted again as the door to the diner burst open as Jacob, Embry and Quil strode in. Jacob had received Charlie's message and headed straight for the diner. All eyes were on the three tall handsome young men as they made their way over to Charlie and Bella.

"Bells." Jacob called out. He was the first to reach the booth. His eyes locked with Bella's and he held out his arms to her.

Bella glanced at her father as he rolled his eyes and moved aside so Bella could slip past him. As soon as she was on her feet, Jacob picked her up into a tight bear hug and wrapped his arms around her. "I'm sorry, honey." He whispered into her hair. "So sorry."

Bella sank gratefully into his warm arms and returned his embrace. Quil and Embry grinned at each other. "I feel like I'm in a bad B movie." Embry whispered to Quil.

Quil just laughed and punched him on the shoulder playfully.

_**A/N-thanks for reading! **_


	12. Chapter 12

**Nine Months**

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

_**A/N-thank you for the awesome reviews. Nikki :)**_

**Part Eleven**

Charlie had to cough several times before Jacob got the hint and released Bella. He grinned sheepishly as he placed her carefully back on her feet, taking her hand in his instead. There was no way he was going to let go for the moment. Quil and Embry laughed at his discomfiture, glad that their friend was at ease again and that Bella had been found without too much drama.

"We're going to take off now." Embry said as he leaned over and gave Bella a quick hug. "Glad you're okay."

"Thank you." Bella whispered, her cheeks turning pink.

Quil gave her a cheeky kiss on the cheek before stepping back. He chuckled as he saw Jacob glaring at him. He loved getting under Black's skin. "See you soon my lady." He winked at her playfully before following Embry out of the diner.

"He can be such an ass." Jacob complained as he watched his friends leave.

Victoria seemed fascinated by what she had just witnessed. She sat across from Charlie, a confused expression on her face as she gazed at Bella. "Is he the father?" She whispered to Charlie.

"Bella told you?"

"Well I sort of guessed." Victoria smiled at him gently. "So is he?"

The tips of Charlie's ears turned red. She really was an extremely good looking woman. "No he isn't unfortunately. The real father is an absolute scum bag."

"They always are." Victoria sighed and picked up her bag again. "Well I leave Bella in safe hands. It was nice to meet you Charles Swan." She held out her hand to him again as she started to rise.

Charlie took it and shook it firmly. "Charlie, my friends call me Charlie."

"Well Charlie take care of her. She is a precious girl." Victoria pulled her hand back when Charlie didn't let go.

"Where are you going to go?" Charlie asked suddenly. "I can see that you are in trouble. Maybe I can help."

Victoria shook her head, the smile disappearing from her face. "That's kind of you, but it's best if I just keep moving."

Bella heard Victoria's last statement. She tugged Jacob closer to the table as he still refused to let go of her hand. "You can't go, Victoria." She begged. "How long can you keep running? Stay here."

"You are very kind sweetheart but you don't understand the seriousness of the situation." Victoria put her bag over her shoulder.

"Dad is the police chief here. He can help. We all can help." Bella put her hand on Victoria's arm. "Please you helped me when I was in distress and you didn't have to. Let me, or rather us, help you now."

Victoria glanced at Charlie who had risen from his seat. "Yes, Bella's right. Let us help." He agreed.

Victoria removed her sunglasses briefly so she could wipe the tears from her eyes. It was the first time that Charlie and Jacob got to see the extent of her injuries. They exchanged a grim look. She noticed them staring and shoved the sunglasses back on quickly. "It looks worse than it is." She mumbled in embarrassment.

Bella took her hand and smiled weakly. "Come with us, what have you got to lose?"

Victoria finally caved in. She nodded slowly. "It's my turn to thank you." She said gratefully.

* * *

><p>They all went back to the Swan house. Bella made everyone a drink and then went out the back with Jacob so Charlie and Victoria could talk privately. He was going to give her some advice about her options and Victoria didn't want Bella to know the full sorry story, she felt she was too young. Jacob and Bella sat on the porch swing and looked up at the sky, it was no longer raining and the dark clouds let little sunlight through.<p>

"I'm sorry Bells if you thought I couldn't trust you with the truth." Jacob said after a while. "It's just that..."

"Stop." Bella gave him a wan smile as she clutched the warm coffee mug in her hands. "You don't need to apologize. I overreacted badly. I could blame it on my hormones but that's not true. When I get upset Jake, or my life feels like it's spiraling out of control, the first thing I do is run. That's why I ended up here. When my mom said those hurtful things I packed my bags and left without thinking things through. I mean what if dad hadn't wanted me here? I can't keep running at every slight misunderstanding or upset, because there are going to be plenty more."

"But we shouldn't have kept you in the dark." Jacob tried again.

"You didn't. You told me it wasn't your secret to tell and I should have respected that. Whatever it is you are all just trying to keep me safe." Bella took a sip of her coffee.

"Don't you want me to tell you now?" Jacob sat back and relaxed. Bella's long winded explanation made sense. Her mother had a lot to answer for.

"Not yet. Perhaps my dad is right and I'm not really in the right frame of mind to know. Maybe later." Bella gave him a proper smile this time and he grinned back at her.

"Can you promise me something?" Jacob asked.

"Anything."

"Next time you're pissed at me throw something or yell at me. Don't go off again. You scared the shit out of me." Jacob was all seriousness as he spoke.

"Okay."

"No promise me. Say the words out loud." He pressed.

"I promise not to run off. Next time I'll whack you over the head with a baseball bat. How's that?" Bella said teasingly.

"That's much better." Jacob grinned at her again. "My head is much harder than any old bat anyway."

Bella giggled, nearly dropping her coffee in her lap as he tapped himself on the head.

* * *

><p>Sam sat down at the table in his kitchen and put his head in his hands. He'd had yet another run in with Leah. It was getting harder and harder to deal with his former flame on a daily basis. Sharing head space with her was wearing him down. He felt a gentle pair of hands begin to massage his shoulders.<p>

"Bad day?" Emily asked him softly.

Sam relaxed under her tender touch. "Leah." Was all he said.

"Oh." Emily sighed. "She's still hurting."

"Aren't we all?" Sam said bitterly.

"She more than most. It wasn't just you she lost." Emily reminded him.

"Don't you think I don't know that? But battling her on a daily basis is doing the pack no good. As it is I feel like we have separated into two packs anyway." Sam began to tense up again and Emily intensified her ministrations.

"What do you mean?"

"Jake and his friends. I have had no idea where they've been for the last few hours. Jake is literally shutting me out now, even when he's phased I can't hear him through the pack mind and Embry and Quil follow him at will. The other day I issued an order and they both looked to him before they carried it out. This situation is becoming intolerable and with Leah taunting me about it daily, it is causing division." Sam said tiredly.

"Well maybe it's time then." Emily suggested gently.

"Time for what?" Sam glanced up at her.

"Time for Jacob to take up his birthright." Emily leaned down to kiss him, her long hair covering the scars that he had inflicted accidentally.

* * *

><p>Charlie waved Victoria goodbye as she climbed into her battered old Ford. He had given her the address of a local motel and she was leaving to book herself in. They were going to meet up the next day to talk some more. She was still loathe to press charges against her husband, but Charlie was hoping a good nights sleep may change her mind. His hand touched his cheek briefly where Victoria had pressed a thank you kiss to his skin. Her action had taken him by surprise. It had been many years since he had felt attracted to a woman, and Victoria Jones was certainly a beauty.<p>

"Pull yourself together you old fool." Charlie muttered to himself as he went back inside the house. He found Jacob and Bella in the living room, she had her feet on his lap and he was massaging them. Jeez the boy was well and truly whipped already. He chuckled to himself as he sat down in the recliner and joined them.

* * *

><p>Jacob was disappointed that he had to go. Billy had called him to say that Sam was at the house waiting for him. Apparently they had something serious to discuss. Jacob could guess what this was; it would be another lecture about cutting school and not following orders. Well this time he'd had good reasons to break the rules. Bella had needed him and she came first above everything.<p>

"I need to get back." He held Bella's hands in his own as they stood on the doorstep.

"That's okay. I've monopolized enough of your time. Tell Billy sorry that I made you miss school."

"Stuff school." Jacob looked at her intently for a moment.

Bella could see something was bothering him. "Are you alright?" She asked worriedly.

"Yeah I am...I just...um...don't know how to ask this."

"Ask what?"

Jacob closed his eyes briefly and took a deep breath. "I would really like to kiss you right now." He blurted out.

Bella stared at him, her heart speeding up at both his words and the intense look in his dark eyes. "I don't know what to say."

"Yes would be good." Jacob prompted her.

A nervous giggle escaped Bella's lips as she blushed. "Um...yes it is then." She closed her eyes and pursed her lips.

Jacob grinned at how adorable she was. He leaned down and pressed his mouth gently onto hers. He heard a soft sigh escape Bella as she melted into him and allowed him to move his lips against hers for a few brief seconds before she pulled back from him. "Goodnight Jake." She whispered.

"Goodnight Bells." Jacob's voice didn't sound like his own as he watched her step back inside the house and flash him one last shy smile before closing the door.

_**A/N-thanks for reading! **_


	13. Chapter 13

**Nine Months **

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

_**A/N-thank you for the awesome reviews. Nikki :)**_

**Part Twelve**

Jacob felt like he was being ambushed when he entered his house to find his dad, Sam and Old Quil waiting for him. His good mood vanished as he sat down at the table and joined them. "What was so urgent you had to drag me back here?" He said mulishly.

"You went AWOL again today." Sam didn't waste time with pleasantries. "And you took Quil and Embry with you."

"Bella was in trouble. I needed to find her." Jacob's voice was laced with steel as he glared at his Alpha.

"Jake." Billy said warningly. "Stay calm."

"I am calm." Jacob didn't take his eyes away from Sam. "What exactly is your problem?"

"My problem is that you are putting a girl above everything. A girl who is not part of this reservation and who is not your imprint." Sam lectured him sternly. "Since Bella has arrived here you have been blowing off your responsibilities and dragging Quil and Embry along with you."

Sam's words now angered Billy. He hadn't expected him to say that. Before Jacob could yell back at his Alpha, Billy got there first. "Bella is the daughter of Charlie who is very much part of our community and knows everything. She is a special girl who I think of as a daughter. Do not speak of her in those terms again."

"Easy now Billy." Old Quil intervened and tried to smooth things over. He peered through his round glasses at them all. "That is not what Sam meant. He is merely pointing out the fact that Jacob cannot put his feelings for another above his tribal responsibilities. Bella, no matter how special to him, is not his imprint. His future has already been pre-ordained. He needs to take up his place as the rightful Alpha of the pack. His actions prove that he can break Sam's orders at whim, whether he is doing it unconsciously or not, his close friends are already following him. It will not be long before the others do too. Sam's control is waning. A sure sign that Jacob has matured enough to start the transition into his rightful heritage."

Jacob was outraged, he stood up, his chair falling to the floor with a loud bang. "Do not talk to me of imprinting. It will never affect me and means nothing. If I want to put Bella above my other damn responsibilities then I will. Anything could have happened today and I needed to make sure she was safe..."

"She is not your intended, Jacob." Sam stood too, slamming his fist on the table as he spoke. "She is also carrying another man's child. Don't think that imprinting will not happen to you. It certainly turned my life upside down. I love Emily, I wouldn't be without her now, but the circumstances under which we came together will forever haunt us both. Leah is proof positive of that. Do you really want to put Bella through that? Do you?" His rant continued as he turned his wrath on Billy. "And you encourage this? You are the chief of this tribe and know full well that it could destabilize the pack if Jacob imprints but is torn because of his feelings for the pale faced girl."

"I am not you." Jacob yelled at him. "I am not fucking weak. I will not imprint. It will not happen. I know how I feel and that won't change. I won't have any of you dictating to me who I can love. No one."

Billy reached across and placed a hand on his son's arm. He was shaking and on the verge of phasing. Sam too had a wild look in his eyes as they glared at each other. "Sit down both of you. As Sam pointed out I am still the chief of this tribe."

"Do as he says." Old Quil seemed unmoved by both the young men's posturing. "Violence is not the answer here."

Jacob gritted his teeth and forced his wolf back down. He picked up his chair and slammed it on the floor before finally complying and sitting back down. Sam was still shaking. His normally stoic demeanor was missing. Talking about imprinting was the one thing that could always get under his skin. His guilt over Emily's scars and Leah's unhappiness haunted his dreams every night. He too finally sat down again.

"I will not imprint." Jacob said forcefully. "The subject is closed."

"Then you are a fool." Sam said bitterly.

"Enough." Billy slammed his own hand on the table to get their attention. "I understand your concerns Sam, but I also know my son. If he says that it will not happen then I for one believe that it will not. It is supposed to be a rare occurrence. If Jacob chooses to be with Bella then I for one fully support him."

"Than you are a fool too." Sam retorted.

Old Quil sighed heavily. "This is getting us nowhere. You say imprinting is rare Billy, but two have already succumbed to the pull. Sam here and Jared Thail. The indications are that another will meet their intended soon."

"Who?" Jacob demanded.

"That we do not know." Old Quil pushed his glasses up his nose and mopped his brow with a paper towel. He had been communing with the spirits and it had taken it's toll on him as it always did. "But I am led to believe it will be a controversial one."

Sam ran a hand through his hair agitatedly. "And you say that it will not happen to you?" He spat sarcastically. "I've said all I came to say. The decisions are now all yours young Alpha." He stood up and strode quickly from the room, slamming the door after him.

* * *

><p>Bella was lying on her bed reading when she heard the tap on her bedroom window. She folded over the page she was on to mark it before glancing at the clock radio beside her bed. The red numbers glowed dully showing it was past midnight. There was another tap on the window, as if a small stone was hitting the glass. Bella slid out of bed and hurried over to look outside. It was hard to see much as a tall tree which grew just outside that part of the house obscured most of the view. This time she saw the small stone as it hit the pane. Without thinking she shoved open the window and peered outside.<p>

"Bells, it's me." She was stunned to see Jacob standing on the ground below her window.

"What are you doing here?" She whisper yelled at him, she winced hoping Charlie wouldn't hear. She doubted he would be impressed with his midnight visitor no matter how much he admired Jacob.

"Open the door." Jacob called back to her in a low voice. He pointed round to the front of the house. Bella nodded and shut the window again as she left to let him in the front.

He was already there when she opened the front door. He scooped her up into a tight bear hug, startling her for a moment, before carrying her inside and into the living room. Bella remained quiet, she could tell that Jacob was deeply upset about something, she could hear him breathing deeply as if trying to keep his emotions in check. Her shoulder was damp from his stray tears. She hoped it was nothing to do with Billy. She knew his dad's diabetes was a constant worry to him. Jacob placed her gently on the sofa before sitting beside her, hiding his face in her shoulder as he did so.

"I hate my life." He muttered.

Bella sank her fingers into his silky hair and massaged his scalp, while she rubbed his shoulder with the other hand, hoping to ease some of the tension she could feel in his body. He was like a tightly wound spring. "What's wrong? You were okay when you left earlier? It's not Billy is it?" She queried.

"Not directly no." Jacob twisted round and leaned his head on her shoulder as she continued to stroke his hair. She could see his eyes now, instead of the happiness and confidence she was used to seeing, he looked defeated and full of worry.

"Is he ill?" She tried again, not understanding his cryptic comment.

"No nothing like that. It's tribal stuff." Jacob closed his eyes as he swallowed.

"Is this the same stuff you couldn't tell me about before?"

"Yes. It's connected." Jacob confessed. "I'm never going to be able to leave, Bells. I am tied to La Push forever."

"But you love your home." Bella felt confused. "I didn't think you would want to leave anyway."

Jacob lifted his head from her shoulder and reached out to touch her cheek tentatively, almost as if afraid she wasn't real. "You could leave." He said simply.

"None of us knows what's going to happen, Jake. I can't think too far ahead otherwise my head will explode." She smiled faintly as she caressed her stomach where the baby was growing bigger every day.

Jacob's eyes flickered to her abdomen. "Can I?"

"Yeah if you want. You won't feel anything yet." Bella pulled her hand away and let him put his on her stomach. She was used to his heat now, and it was somehow soothing feeling his warm fingers travel over the slight bulge in her stomach.

"You're going to be a great mom." Jacob whispered as he finally pulled his hand back.

"I can only hope." Bella replied. "I will definitely make sure I am nothing like Renee."

"Was she all bad?"

"Not all the time. Occasionally there were flashes of who she could have been underneath the selfishness, but they were few and far between. My memories growing up with her aren't that great." Bella felt dispirited talking about Renee. "I wish Renee could have been more like your mom."

The agony in Jacob's face softened at the mention of Sarah. "Do you think she's up there watching over us?"

"Yes." Bella could sense he needed to hear it. "I do."

Jacob rested his head on her shoulder again, he seemed deep in thought. They didn't talk for a while; instead just drawing comfort from each other as they held hands and sat side by side. Eventually Jacob let out a sad sigh and sat up. "I have to go." He said reluctantly.

"Okay." Bella assumed he needed to get back home to Billy.

Jacob stood up and held out his hand to assist her to rise. Before he let go he leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips as he had the day before. "I'll see you in a few hours." He still seemed sad and it about broke Bella's heart. She pulled his head back to hers and kissed him more forcefully. He seemed stunned by her action before recovering quickly and wrapping his arms tightly around her and lifting her against his hardened body. They were both breathless when their lips parted.

"Be careful Jake." Bella didn't know why she had said that. Jacob reluctantly released her and touched her cheek before melting into the darkness. She heard the front door close quietly after him as he left.

_**A/N-thanks for reading! **_


	14. Chapter 14

**Nine Months **

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

_**A/N-thank you for the awesome reviews. WARNING! Keep a tissue handy! :(**_

**Part Thirteen**

The next morning it wasn't Jacob who arrived to pick Bella up but Embry. He greeted her at the door with a sheepish smile. "Jake sends his apologies but he couldn't make it today."

"Oh." Bella felt crestfallen. "Will he be in school?"

"Not today and once I drop you off then I have to leave too." Embry replied in resignation. He opened the door to the Rabbit and helped Bella inside.

"Is this all to to do with the mysterious tribal business?" Bella asked as Embry slipped into the drivers seat.

"Yeah, afraid so. A lot of stuff is going down and Jacob is kinda caught up in it."

"Is he alright?" Bella asked worriedly as she snapped in her seatbelt.

"Jake can take care of himself." Embry smiled at her reassuringly as he switched on the engine and began to reverse out of the drive.

* * *

><p>Paul's frame began to shake as he glared at Jacob. "I will not take orders from you. This is bullshit. How can you suddenly be in charge? This is a fucking joke." He raged.<p>

"Well I am, so get used to it." Jacob snapped. His first pack meeting was not going well. Sam had made a short speech telling the others that he was stepping down before handing the floor to Jacob. Paul had kicked off straight away.

"I will not get used to it." Paul roared. As usual he couldn't keep his temper in check. His form shimmered as he launched himself at Jacob.

"Here we go again." Quil rolled his eyes as they all stepped back to let the combatants have some room. "Just order the douche to submit."

"No." Jacob was spoiling for a fight. He was still bitter over having this responsibility thrust on him unexpectedly. He glanced sideways and saw Sam smiling grimly. He was enjoying this. Jacob phased on the fly and met Paul's wolf head on, they crashed to the ground, snarling and growling as they began to wrestle.

* * *

><p>Embry dropped Bella off at the school's entrance before hugging her goodbye and leaving to join the others. Bella watched him drive away before hefting her bag on her shoulder and heading inside. As soon as she entered the small building, Jessica and her cronies surrounded her. Bella did her best to block them out as she looked straight ahead and ignored their familiar jibes.<p>

"Looks like the knights in shining armour got bored of the stuck up pale faced princess." Jessica sneered.

Bella heard the other girls laughing. She gritted her teeth and kept on walking.

"You really are up yourself aren't you princess?" Jessica was not happy being ignored. "Well eat this." She deliberately stuck out her foot to trip Bella up.

Bella fell heavily to the floor, her weighty bag dragging her down. She just about managed to put her hands out to stop her face hitting the concrete, but her stomach twisted at an odd angle as she landed. She groaned as she felt a sharp pain rip through her abdomen and she rolled onto her back, clutching her stomach. Jessica laughed again when she saw her pain, but the other girls became silent as they watched Bella curl up into a ball and begin to moan.

"I think she's really hurt, Jess." One of them pointed out.

"Oh, she's putting it on." Jessica said dismissively. She kicked out and her foot connected with Bella's lower back. She cried out again and tried to shuffle away from Jessica.

"Jess stop." The same girl pulled Jessica back when she tried to kick at Bella again. "I don't think she's putting it on. Look."

Bella was sobbing now. She held her stomach tightly as she tried to shield herself from Jessica's attack. That's when they all saw the blood.

* * *

><p>Charlie was at the diner having breakfast with Victoria. They had met up to discuss what she planned to do next. "I know you are right, Charlie." She said as she ate her pancakes. "But if I press charges he will know where I am. I want to avoid seeing him. I don't think I'm ready for that."<p>

"Does that mean you're moving on?" Charlie asked in disappointment.

Victoria suddenly beamed at him as she waved her fork in the air. "No I thought I might stick around for a while. The people here seem nice." Their eyes locked for a moment and they both smiled awkwardly at each other.

"That's great." Charlie said gruffly as he stared down at his cooked breakfast. His face turned red slightly with pleasure.

"I have already found a temporary job." Victoria suddenly revealed.

"Where?"

"Right here in the diner. Cora, one of the waitresses, is on maternity leave and I'm going to cover for her. So, this is officially my last meal in here as a customer. From tomorrow I will be waiting tables. Feel free to come in and see me work my magic on the customers." She quipped.

"Oh I will." Charlie had a feeling he was going to be in every day.

* * *

><p>The ambulance transported Bella to the hospital quickly. The ambulance staff tried to reassure her that her baby was going to be okay, but she could see them all looking at each other with worried frowns. The pains in her abdomen were intense and she was losing blood. Bella closed her eyes, her face awash with tears as she prayed like she had never prayed before.<p>

* * *

><p>The fight was over. Jacob got Paul to submit. Both of them had sustained quite a few gashes and deep cuts. Paul was a dirty fighter, but Jacob had the greater weight and strength. He phased back and left the dark silver wolf lying on his side, trying to catch his breath.<p>

"Anyone else want a go?" Jacob roared at them all. "Because I will do the same to you as I did to him."

The others remained silent. No one was going to challenge him now. Jacob glanced at Sam again, the former Alpha nodded at him, a small glint of respect in his eyes. "You are the leader Jake. No question." He said simply.

One by one the others nodded.

* * *

><p>"Bella can you hear me?" The voice sounded far away. She tried to open her eyes but the lids felt heavy.<p>

"My baby." She mumbled.

"Bella you need to try and stay awake." The insistent voice drifted in and out.

"Tired." Bella mumbled. She felt so exhausted; the pain was overwhelming.

"Get her to the ER now. She's hemorrhaging." The voice now sounded desperate.

Bella lapsed into unconsciousness.

* * *

><p>Charlie was just finishing up his breakfast when he got the call. He sighed as he smiled at Victoria. "They can't do without me for five minutes." He jokingly complained, thinking it was work.<p>

Victoria laughed as he picked up his cell phone and answered it. She saw his expression change instantly as he spoke to the person on the other end. "How bad? How the fuck could this happen inside the school? Damn right I will arrest the little witch for assault." He slammed his phone on the table as he ended the call.

"What is it?" Victoria asked in alarm.

Charlie was already getting out of his seat and reaching for his jacket. "It's Bells, there was an incident up the school. She's hurt and in the hospital."

"I'll come with you." Victoria could see that Charlie was already beginning to fall apart. His hand was shaking as he tried to pull on his coat.

"Dammit." He swore.

"It's alright. Bella will be alright." Victoria helped him on with his jacket.

"The baby..." Charlie had never felt so helpless in all his life.

"The baby will be fine too." Victoria said soothingly. "Let's go."

* * *

><p>When Bella next came to she had a blinding headache. Everything felt surreal as she forced her eyes to open, only to be hit with the harsh overhead lights, she rammed her eyelids shut again as she took a deep breath. She felt a hand touch hers tentatively and she moved her head to the side carefully.<p>

"Bells, can you hear me?" It took her a moment to recognize the voice.

"Daddy?" She hadn't called her father that in years. She heard a sharp intake of breath and his hand gripped hers more forcefully. "What happened daddy?"

"Can you open your eyes, kiddo?" Charlie asked her gently.

Bella swallowed thickly before slowly opening her eyes. Her father's grief stricken face came into view. He had tears in his eyes as he gazed at her sadly. Behind him she saw Victoria standing with a hand on her father's shoulder. Her vibrant red hair shone under the bright lights. She had removed her sunglasses and Bella could see tears trickling out of her eyes too. "My baby?" The question was torn from her throat. She already knew.

"I'm sorry, Bells. So sorry. You lost the baby." Charlie hung his head as Bella turned her head away from him and closed her eyes.

_**A/N-thanks for reading! **_


	15. Chapter 15

**Nine Months**

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

_**A/N- I couldn't leave you all waiting after the last chapter! :/ Thank you for the awesome reviews. Nikki **_

**Part Fourteen**

Jacob came back from his first official pack meeting tired, bruised and with the weight of the world on his shoulders. Trying to deal with such forceful personalities, especially Paul and Leah, was more taxing than he thought. He had defeated Paul in a fight but Lahote still tried to undermine him at every opportunity. Jared was pissed because Jacob had decided that he wanted Embry as his beta. Sam had remained quiet and in the background, which irked Jacob even more. He could have used the former Alpha's support in backing his decisions, but Sam had stepped down in more ways than one. It was only Embry, Quil and young Seth who backed him wholly. The others still thought he was too young and immature. Only time would prove otherwise.

He came through the front door ready to go straight to his room and crash for a while before heading off to pick up Bella from the tribal school. Embry had offered to do so, but Jake really wanted to see her and hold her for a while. She provided comfort when no one else could.

"Jake, come here a moment I need to talk to you." Billy called out to him when he heard the front door slam.

"Not right now, dad." Jacob began to head for his room.

"Jake, please come here." Something in his dad's voice made him twist round and join him in the living room.

"What is it?" Are you feeling alright?"

Billy's face was grim as he gestured for Jacob to sit down. He watched as his son pulled up a chair and faced him. "I'm fine son."

"Then what's wrong?" Jacob demanded, worried by the devastated expression Billy was wearing.

"It's Bella, Jake. She's been taken to hospital. She lost the baby. I'm so sorry." Billy tried to reach for his son but Jacob was already on his feet and running out of the house before he could stop him. He heard the door slam and when he rolled his chair over to the window he saw a russet wolf tearing toward the trees before it disappeared out of sight.

* * *

><p>"Bella can you talk to me, kiddo? I'm here." Charlie said tentatively. His daughter hadn't spoken since he had told her the sad news. She kept her eyes tight closed, ignoring everyone.<p>

Victoria touched Charlie gently on the shoulder. "Perhaps we should give her a little space for a while. She's had a nasty shock and needs time to process."

"I can't leave her alone." Charlie gazed down at his fragile little girl. She looked so frail and drawn lying in the large hospital bed.

"We'll just be outside. I'll get us some coffee's." Victoria urged him again. "Come on."

"If you want me just call, kiddo. Alright?" There was no response. Charlie reluctantly got up from his seat and followed Victoria out of the room.

Bella breathed a sigh of relief when they were gone. She was barely holding it together. She knew her dad meant well, but talking about it only made it all too real. She wished that she could go back to earlier that morning before she left for school. If only she had stayed at home instead, her baby would still be growing inside her. Bella's hand shook as she touched her stomach. It felt flat and lifeless. There was nothing left there now. It was empty, just like her heart. She wondered what she had done to deserve such misfortune. She didn't think she was a bad person. So why? The questions kept rebounding round her tired brain like a rubber ball.

What was she supposed to do now? The only reason she was here was because she was pregnant. Forks and La Push had become her sanctuary over the last few weeks, but now she would never be able to go back to that school again. The thought of walking through the scene of her tragedy made her nauseous. Bella's eyes remained dry. She wanted to cry, but something was blocking her attempts. Maybe she was a bad person. A good person would be crying right now, grieving for the lost child, but Bella felt dead inside. Too much had happened over a short time and she couldn't cope.

She lay on her back staring up at the ceiling, her hands clasped together as if in silent prayer.

* * *

><p>Jacob burst through the hospital doors, startling everyone in the waiting room. He ran over to the reception desk and begged to be told which room Bella Swan was in. The receptionist looked into the desperate eyes of the tall, handsome young man and presumed he must be the father. She asked him no questions but gave him the room number and directions. Jacob thanked her before tearing off down the hospital corridor.<p>

He spotted Charlie standing next to the red head from the diner. They were both drinking what smelled like coffee. They were stunned to see him hurtling toward them. "Is she alright?" He called out to them.

Charlie handed Victoria his coffee and put a hand on Jacob's shoulder to stop him bursting straight into the room. "She's very fragile, Jake. Maybe you should wait a while."

"She needs me." Jacob pushed Charlie's hand away and shoved the door open.

Charlie sighed and went to follow but Victoria stopped him. "Leave them be." She advised.

"But..."

"From what I saw of them in the diner the other day I think he is who she needs right now." Victoria put a gentle hand on Charlie's face. "You are a good man, Charlie Swan. But right now Bella needs her friend. Come sit and let's give them a few moment's of privacy."

Charlie swallowed thickly and nodded. Victoria gave him a sympathetic smile as she handed him his coffee. He took it and drank some but it tasted like ashes in his mouth.

* * *

><p>Bella turned to face the door when she heard it swing open. She thought it was her dad and Victoria, but to her surprise it was Jacob. His face was a mixture of anguish and sadness as he came over to her. Wordlessly she looked up at him as he climbed onto the bed and lay down beside her, carefully slipping his arms around her and hugging her to his warm body. Bella buried her face into his broad chest and her shoulders began to shake as the heat from his body pierced the ice that had taken hold of her heart and frozen her soul. The tears that she had been unable to shed began to flood out of her eyes as she finally let go; weeping for the child that she would never get to see.<p>

* * *

><p>Charlie and Victoria heard Bella crying through the door. They decided to leave them alone for a little longer until finally the sound of Bella's grief abated and there was silence. Charlie carefully opened the door to his daughter's room and peered inside. He saw Bella lying wrapped in Jacob's arms. Their eyes were closed as they had fallen into an exhausted sleep.<p>

_**A/N-thanks for reading! **_


	16. Chapter 16

**Nine Months**

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

_**A/N-thank you for the awesome reviews. Nikki :)**_

**Part Fifteen**

Jacob had to reluctantly leave Bella and return home. He needed to make sure Billy was okay. The weight of all his responsibilities was again dragging him down. Inside he was boiling with suppressed anger at Sam for dumping the Alpha duties on him on top of his already heavy burden. With school added into the mix, it was only a matter of time before something was going to give. He trudged into the house to find his father struggling to get ready. He was in his room, trying in vain to take his insulin. It was a job that Jacob usually performed for him because Billy's grip wasn't all that good anymore and his hand would shake when he held the needle.

"Let me do that." Jacob swiftly took the meds from his father and expertly administered them within seconds. "You should have waited for me."

"I didn't know if you would make it back." Billy rolled the sleeve of his shirt down. "How is Bella?"

"Sad and very fragile." Jacob tided Billy's meds away and assisted his father in getting the rest of his clothes on smoothly.

"I'm sorry, Jake. I know you would have rather stayed with her." Billy felt awful for forcing his son to come home to assist him when Bella also needed him.

"She insisted I come back. I was going to stay..." Jacob saw the look of pain on his father's face. He knew that Billy was feeling like just another burden. "I didn't mean it quite like that."

"No I know." Billy maneuvered his body into his chair and sighed heavily. "Things can't carry on the way they are. We need help, son. You can't do everything."

"Who else is there?" Jacob said resignedly. "I'm going to crash for a bit. Will you be alright now?"

"Yes, you go." Billy watched Jacob leave the room, his shoulders slouched as he went to grab some much needed sleep.

* * *

><p>Charlie was just leaving Bella's room when he saw Carlisle Cullen walking gracefully down the corridor, a bundle of notes in his hands. He stopped when he saw Charlie and gave him an awkward smile. "Good morning Chief Swan."<p>

"Is it?" Charlie folded his arms and studied the doctor carefully. Carlisle just stood immobile waiting for Charlie to continue. "I see that you're back from your trip."

"Yes it was very relaxing." Carlisle frowned slightly.

"I bet it was. Very convenient that you took off the moment I came to seek you out." Charlie gave up playing games. "You know how I feel about you and your family. You promised that you would stay away from mine. Then I find out that your _son _came to my house to talk to my daughter and ask her out on a date. What the fuck is all that about?"

Carlisle was affronted by Charlie's bad language. His eyes narrowed and he gripped his papers tighter in his hands. "Edward merely stopped by to apologize for the way he acted when he encountered your daughter on the two occasions their paths crossed. He is polite and felt ill at ease letting Bella go along thinking she had offended him in some way. He asked her to dinner as a way of thanking her. That is all. There was no ill intent in his actions."

"Let's cut the bullshit shall we Doctor Cullen?" Charlie sneered. "I know what you are. You can call yourself fancy names and try to hide behind a false veneer of respectability, but underneath you and yours will always be a blood drinking..."

"Charlie?" Victoria's voice startled him. He turned round to see her standing behind him, a confused look in her blue eyes.

"Victoria." Charlie stammered. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to check up on how Bella's feeling. I've just finished the breakfast run and popped over here in my break." She seemed bemused. It was the first time she had seen Charlie act like that and it confused her. What did he have against the handsome young doctor to insult him like that?

"I don't believe we've met." Carlisle said smoothly as he reached out to shake Victoria's hand. She glanced sideways at Charlie before doing so. His cold touch made goose pimples break out on her skin and she hid her hand behind her back. "I'm here to check up on Bella. It was such a tragedy that she lost the baby. When I saw her last she was so happy and full of plans for the future." He put on a regretful expression.

"Quite." Victoria saw Charlie frown. He did not look happy at all. "Shall we go in then?" She suggested, hoping to break through the tension.

"You go." Charlie muttered. "The doctor and I still have a few things to discuss."

"Okay." Victoria said uneasily as she slipped into Bella's room and closed the door.

"She seems like a lovely young woman." Carlisle gave Charlie a bland smile.

"You stay away from her too." Charlie snapped. "And don't think for one moment you are going in there to treat my daughter. I am discharging her now that you are back."

"Don't be ridiculous." Carlisle's patience had run out. "I only have Bella's best interests at heart. Don't let your outdated prejudices stop her getting the best treatment."

"This is your last warning. Stay away." Charlie growled before turning on his heel and going back into Bella's room.

* * *

><p>Bella was stunned to hear that she was going to be leaving the hospital right at that moment. The last doctor she had spoken to had said they would like to monitor her over a few days, but Charlie was adamant that they would be leaving right away. Victoria pulled him aside out of earshot of Bella so they could talk.<p>

"Is this wise? She's still not well."

"I haven't got a choice. I'll hire a private nurse to keep an eye on her at home until she regains her strength." Charlie was still fuming over his run in with Carlisle.

"Is this sudden decision something to do with that doctor?" Victoria pressed. "He seemed nice enough."

"Are you going to join his fan club too?" Charlie snapped.

Victoria recoiled from him. "I hardly know the man, but if that is your attitude I think I better go."

"Victoria I didn't mean..." Charlie tried to apologize but she rebuffed him.

"No. Jeremy used to snap at me like that for no reason. I was a fool to think that you would be any different." She turned her back on him and said a quick goodbye to Bella before fleeing the room.

Bella was struggling out of her bed. She stared in alarm at Victoria's retreating figure. "What was that about?"

Charlie took a deep breath and forced a smile onto his face. "Nothing kiddo. She had to get back to work. Come on and let me help you."

Bella didn't ask anymore questions. She could see he was deeply upset about something, but she was too weary to probe further.

* * *

><p>Jacob didn't get much sleep. He was disturbed by the sudden arrival of Embry. His friend looked wild eyed and fidgety when he came outside to meet him. It was raining lightly and the mist in the air settled on his black hair which was sticking up in all directions. He yawned and stretched his limbs, trying to get the blood flowing around his body.<p>

"What is it, Em?" He asked tiredly.

"I didn't want to disturb you, Jake." Embry immediately apologized. "Billy told me what happened to Bella. I'm so sorry."

"Just tell me what the problem is Embry. You look like you're going to phase any second." Jacob rubbed his eyes to get the sleep out of them. He hoped it wasn't something too big, he was running on empty as it was and he wanted to get back to the hospital to be with Bella.

"Oh jeez, Jake. I wish I could break it to you gently but I can't." Embry ran a hand through his short hair. "It's Quil."

"What the fuck has he done now?" Jacob groaned. "Can't you deal with it?"

"I wish I could." Embry could see Jacob's impatience growing. He was finding it difficult to tell his friend what had happened. He was still trying to get his own head around it. Emily was after Quil's blood and Quil himself was a mess. He had run off after it happened with Sam in hot pursuit.

"Embry just spit it out."

"Quil imprinted." Embry revealed.

"He did?" Jacob was surprised by this news, but wondered what the big deal was. Surely this could have waited until later.?"What's the problem?"

"It's only a problem because of who he imprinted on." Embry said miserably.

"Who?"

"Emily's niece, a little girl called Clare. She's two, Jake. Just two years old." Embry choked out.

* * *

><p>Bella was lying on the sofa in the main living room resting. Charlie had been at her beck and call for most of the day. She had been vainly waiting for Jacob to show up like he had promised her but so far he hadn't and it was getting late. She felt disappointed. He had been so great the night before; holding her while she wept for her lost baby. He hadn't tried to make her talk about it like everyone else. He knew there were no words that could offer any comfort. Perhaps he had been delayed because of Billy. She had to stop being so selfish. Jacob had a lot of claims on his time. She couldn't expect him to be there twenty four seven.<p>

Bella could tell that her father's mind was far away. He had been on the phone trying to sort out some short term daily help until she recovered. It hadn't been easy but he had finally found someone who could take care of her while he was at work. The private nurse would start the next day. Bella guessed that Charlie was worrying about Victoria. She didn't know what their little spat had been about but she could see it was preying on his mind. In the end she had urged him to go and see Victoria at the diner and sort it out. He was reluctant, but she had told him she would be fine for half an hour. In fact it was a relief to have a break from all his fussing.

There was an old movie on the television and Bella watched it halfheartedly, not really taking in what was happening. She was still wondering whether she would get to see Jacob at all that night. It was quiet in the house, apart from the usual creaks and groans made by the building itself. Bella turned the television up a little. She had the acute feeling she was being watched, but she knew it was an irrational fear. She tugged the blanket around her and fidgeted to get more comfortable.

When her cell phone went off she nearly fell off the sofa. "Damn." She mumbled as her heart raced in her chest. She turned the television down and fumbled with the phone which was resting on her lap. Luckily Charlie had insisted she have it by her side while he was at the diner in case she needed him to come back promptly.

"Hello?"

"Jake is that you?"

"Yeah. How are you? Dad said that you were at home now."

"I'm resting on the sofa right now watching an old movie and feeling sorry for myself." Bella picked at a stray thread on her blanket. "Will you be over soon?"

Jacob sighed heavily. "I can't tonight I am so sorry."

"Oh." Bella felt crestfallen. Her fingers clutched the blanket as she tried to contain her tears.

"I really wish I could be there." She could hear the desolation in his voice. "But something has happened and I can't get away. I really do wish I was with you. You do believe that? If I could leave all this shit behind I would be there right now holding you."

"I believe you." Bella could hear someone calling Jacob's name. He sighed again before telling her he had to go.

"I'll see you tomorrow. I promise. Take care, honey."

"Bye Jake." Bella managed to keep her tears at bay until the call ended, then she began to sob helplessly. She wrapped her arms around her middle, trying to hold herself together. She raised her head and, through the blurriness created through her tears, she thought she saw someone peering into the room looking at her. Bella blinked a couple of times, her heart racing again with fear. But when she looked the person was gone.

_**A/N-thanks for reading! **_


	17. Chapter 17

**Nine Months **

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

_**A/N-thank you for the awesome reviews. Nikki :)**_

**Part Sixteen**

"I must be going mad." Bella thought to herself as she heard the sound of a sharp intake of breath. "There's no one here but me." Another small creak made her head shoot up and look toward the doorway. She saw it this time, a slight shadowy movement. Her heart began to race again. Some one was definitely there, how had they got in without her hearing them? She didn't know what to do and began to panic. "Who's there?" She called out, her voice trembling. "I can hear and see you."

"Bella it's me." The shadowy figure hovering just near the doorway coalesced into someone she recognized.

"Quil?" She felt stunned. She pulled her blanket closer around her as he shuffled into the living room. He looked careworn and utterly defeated, as if he had suffered a great loss and didn't know how to deal with it. His normally jovial expression was missing.

"I didn't mean to scare you. I just saw Charlie leave and I...I don't know what I was thinking really." Quil shuddered as he wiped a shaking hand over his eyes. "I just needed somewhere to hide...I'm sorry."

Bella had never seen him so distraught. She had got to know him pretty well over the last few weeks and he had always come across as happy go lucky, a bit of a mischief maker at times, but a loyal friend to Jacob and to her. "It's okay come in and sit down."

Quil swallowed thickly as he edged further into the room and sank down into Charlie's recliner, he bowed his head and stared at the floor. "I'm sorry." He apologised again. "I shouldn't be here. I know you lost the baby. You don't need me creeping about. I'm sorry."

Bella carefully sat up and hugged her blanket around her as she reached across and touched his hand. "Hey, we're friends. If you need help or a place to hang for a while then you're welcome. Although you could have just knocked." She gave him a small smile.

Quil raised his head and tried to smile back at her but his mouth didn't want to co-operate. It came out as a grimace and when Bella looked harder she could see fresh tears welling in his eyes. "I'm screwed, Bella. Completely screwed." He confessed.

"Why?" Bella was alarmed by the devastation in his voice. "What happened?"

"I wish I could tell you but you'd hate me too. I didn't mean for it to happen. I had no control over it. Now Emily is after my blood and Sam...Sam is angry too. He's been chasing me for hours. I managed to dodge him and back track here. I couldn't go back to the res. I didn't know where to go, then I thought of you and here." Quil's words came tumbling out. His eyes darted from side to side. He seemed utterly bewildered and confused about whatever had happened to him.

Bella squeezed his hand. She knew that Emily was Sam Uley's fiancée, but not much more than that. She had only ever seem Sam himself from a distance a few times when he had come to talk to Jake. He seemed quite a withdrawn type of person, he hadn't smiled once and hid behind a stoical mask. "I am sure whatever went down that it can be sorted once everyone has calmed down a little."

"Things won't calm down, Bella. No one is going to get over this. Everyone thinks I'm a freak. I think I'm a freak." Quil put his head in his hands and began to cry quietly. Bella saw the tears rolling between his fingers.

"Should I call Jake?" Bella didn't know what else to suggest. She felt helpless.

"No, please don't. I can't deal with anyone right now." Quil begged her.

"Okay." Bella bit her bottom lip for a moment. "I was watching a stupid film. How about we see the end together?"

Quil calmed down a little and he nodded. "I'm sorry, Bella." He said for the hundredth time.

"Do not be sorry." Bella patted his hand and sat back on the sofa. She turned up the volume on the television and they both sat there in silence lost in their own thoughts.

* * *

><p>Charlie had finally persuaded Victoria that his biting comment to her at the hospital had been the result of stress and nothing more. "I'm not like that. I mean that's not me."<p>

Victoria gave him a lopsided smile. "Perhaps I was a bit too quick to judge. Living with someone like Jeremy can do that to you."

"Well as long you understand that I'm very sorry." He said again.

"It's okay I get it, honestly." Victoria picked up the plates that she was about to take out to the customers.

"So we're good?" Charlie checked one last time.

"We're good." Victoria promised him. "Now I really must get on. Catch up with you tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow it is." Charlie smiled at her as he watched her weave her way expertly between the tables. She greeted a few customers by name. It hadn't taken her long to get to know people. She really was a very attractive woman. He shook his head as she glanced up to catch him staring. Victoria winked at him. Charlie laughed awkwardly to himself before leaving the diner to go back to Bella.

* * *

><p>"I can't find him anywhere." Embry said through the pack mind as he and Jacob continued to hunt for their lost friend.<p>

"I can't understand where he could have gone. He's not phased or we'd hear him." Jacob was feeling exhausted and worn down with the constant merry go round of drama he had been dealing with. He had to force Sam to stop chasing Quil down by issuing an Alpha command. Because Emily was upset that made Sam upset and to act irrationally. It wasn't poor Quil's fault that he had imprinted. Jacob remembered Old Quil's words about the next imprint being controversial. It seemed his words were being proved prophetic. Jacob wondered what the elder would think now that it was his own grandson involved.

"Emily isn't one to talk." Embry said sarcastically. "It seems the Young family have some sort of hold over us wolves. She hasn't got any more cousins hidden away somewhere waiting to ambush another one of us has she?"

"It's not funny, Embry." Jacob chided him, but he could see his friend's point. This was the second imprint from the same family. What were the odds of that happening? And onto a child, a two year old? Jacob felt waves of sympathy for his devastated friend but also horror that this could happen to any one of them. What were the spirits thinking?

"I never said it was, but it's frightening, Jake." Embry replied anxiously.

"It won't happen to either of us." Jacob said firmly.

"You can't know that."

"I do know it." Jacob shut the conversation down. Imprinting wasn't going to happen to him, he wouldn't allow it.

* * *

><p>Charlie was surprised to find Quil Ateara sitting in his house with Bella. The young man didn't look like himself at all. He had been crying, that was obvious. His eyes were red and the way he was hunched over as he sat in the recliner worried Charlie.<p>

"What's going on?" He asked.

"Quil just came over to see how I was." Bella said quickly. Quil flashed her a grateful smile.

"Is that right?" Charlie knew Bella was fibbing. She had never been a very good liar. He gazed at Quil, who flushed and hung his head to avoid Charlie's gaze. "I think we need to talk."

"Dad!" Bella frowned as she saw Quil flinch. "Does it have to be right now?"

"I think it does. You rest, kiddo. Quil and I will talk in the kitchen." Charlie watched Quil rise from his seat. He remained stooped as he trudged out of the room.

"Go easy on him, dad. Whatever has happened, it's really freaking him out." Bella curled up on the sofa again and hugged her blanket closer around her.

"You're a good kid, do you know that?" Charlie bent down and gave her a hug, kissing her on the top of the head. "When you're feeling stronger perhaps we can have a talk about what's really going on here." He suggested.

"Yeah." Bella said faintly. By what she had seen over the past few days she wasn't sure she wanted to know. She watched as her dad left the room to follow after Quil.

* * *

><p>Charlie was beyond shocked when Quil blurted out what had happened to him. His words were barely audible as he tried to explain how the imprint had happened and how disgusted he felt with himself. "The worst part is even now I am having to fight the urge to check up on Clare and check she is safe."<p>

"That's a normal part of the pull isn't it?" Charlie was trying to be reasonable but he could understand poor Quil's devastation.

"Yes. But she's a child." Quil rested his forehead on the table to hide the tears in his eyes. He was never going to get used to this, never.

"Maybe the imprint will not turn out the same like it did for Sam and Jared." Charlie tried to offer some comfort, but his words were falling on deaf ears.

"I can't go back to the res, they all hate me." Quil mumbled.

"I'm sure that's not true." Charlie assured him.

"Sam nearly killed me because Emily is upset. I don't blame him."

"You have to face things eventually son." Charlie stated bluntly. "And really Emily is the last person to be casting aspersions."

Quil raised his head. "Can I stay here? Please? Just for a while." He begged.

"Just for a while. Let me head to the res now and I'll talk to Billy and Jake. Your grandfather needs to know too."

Quil flinched at the mention of the elder. "Okay." He felt so lost. He didn't think he could bear the look of disgust he knew he was going to see in everyone's eyes. He could see that Charlie was uncomfortable about it, even though he was trying his best to hide it.

"Stay here with Bells. Call if you need me to come back." Charlie stood up and went to let Bella know that he had to leave for a while. She just nodded. He leaned down and hugged her again before leaving the house for the second time.

_**A/N-thanks for reading! **_


	18. Chapter 18

**Nine Months**

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

_**A/N-thank you for the awesome reviews. Nikki :)**_

**Part Seventeen**

Quil and Bella sat together in silence and watched another film while Charlie was away. By the time the film had ended Bella had fallen into a light doze. Her blanket had slipped from her shoulders and Quil carefully picked it up and tucked it back around her before slipping quietly out of the room and heading out the back of the house for some air. He had been deliberately trying not to think about his changed circumstances, but now he had no choice but to face the inevitable. He would be forever tied to a child, a child he knew little about but had an overwhelming need to protect. Quil just couldn't believe it. There was no possible way to break the imprint, even if he tried to run, little Clare's needs would call him back again. He put his head in his hands and wept silent tears.

He was still sitting outside when Jacob and Embry appeared silently out of the trees which surrounded the back of the Swan property. Charlie had alerted them to where their brother had fled to. They both came and joined him on the back steps and sat either side of him.

"You shouldn't have run." Jacob was the first to speak.

"I didn't know what else to do." Quil confessed.

"Coming here while Bella is trying to recover wasn't your smartest move, Quil." Jacob glanced at his friend. "You should have come straight to me."

"I was trying to outrun our former Alpha. Sam was mightily pissed if you recall." Quil snapped. "I didn't plan on coming here. I just needed someone who wasn't going to judge me, and thankfully, Bella didn't. She was very kind and was being a good friend even though she didn't know the hell what I was babbling about. Unlike you."

Jacob ran a hand through his hair. He was bone tired, he hadn't slept properly for two days and here was Quil complaining that he wasn't being a good _friend._ "What's done is done, Quil. You can't hide out here, not while Bells is trying to get over the loss of her baby. When you put your damn problems against hers, yours comes out low on the scale don't you think?"

"Jake." Embry said warningly when he saw Quil's eyes beginning to blaze.

"No. He needs to face up to things. I've just spent hours trying to track his sorry ass down when I should have been here with Bella." Jacob said in exasperation as he stood up. "Your grandfather is at my house with my dad and Charlie. They want to talk to you about what has happened. Embry will go back with you. I'm going to put Bells first for once and stay here." He went into the house, closing the back door firmly behind him.

Quil stared after him in stunned silence. He hadn't expected that reception at all. He swallowed the lump in his throat as he heard Embry stand up. "He's just exhausted Quil." Embry tried to reassure his friend. "He didn't mean half of what he said. Bella losing the baby has really upset him too. He has been feeling so guilty that he wasn't there when it happened. You know how he feels about her. Sam dumping the Alpha duties on him couldn't have come at a worse time."

Quil's face became impassive. "We better head back to the res." He said coldly as he began to sprint toward the trees.

Embry sighed heavily before following.

* * *

><p>Bella woke up when she heard someone coming into the living room. She was expecting Quil, so was astonished to see Jacob striding over to her. He immediately knelt down and gathered her in his warm arms. "I am so sorry that I haven't been able to be here."<p>

"It doesn't matter." Bella put her arms around his neck. He sounded so distraught. "I know you had a lot going on. Where's Quil gone?"

"I sent him back to the res." Jacob said bitterly. "He shouldn't have come here in the first place and bothered you. I'm so sorry."

"Stop saying sorry." Bella stroked the back of his head. "Quil was just upset that's all."

"But so are you and he knew that." Jacob pulled back and looked at her. "You've been through so much. His petty problems don't compare."

"They didn't seem petty to him. He was devastated about whatever it was that happened." Bella studied Jacob carefully. He was exhausted. She could see the dark circles underscoring his eyes, even now she could see he was fighting to stay awake. Whatever tribal duties he was dealing with they were obviously taking their toll. "Let's not talk about any of that now. Just lie here with me and have some sleep. You look like you need it."

Jacob touched her cheek with his fingers, stroking the skin gently. "I'm supposed to be the one comforting you." He said sadly.

"You just being here is enough." Bella smiled faintly. "Come on, have some rest."

Jacob did as she asked. He climbed on the sofa beside her and cuddled her against his hot body. He was soon fast asleep, his arms wrapped securely around her. Bella stayed awake a little longer as she thought about the child she had lost and the girl who had made it happen. The image of Jessica's face filled with hatred came into her mind and she shuddered. Wherever the girl was she hoped that she was suffering.

* * *

><p>Quil entered the Black's house with Embry right behind him. He found his grandfather, Charlie and Billy waiting for him. "Take a seat, Quil." Billy said kindly.<p>

"I need to get back out on patrol. I'll catch up with you later." Embry put his hand on Quil's shoulder for a moment before leaving the house.

"Is Jake with Bella?" Charlie asked in concern. He didn't want her left alone.

"Yes." Quil replied shortly.

"Is something wrong?" Charlie frowned. Quil seemed to have shut down. His eyes seemed dull and lifeless.

"No Bella is fine. I apologise for disturbing her at this difficult time." Quil sounded like an automaton as he spoke. "Thank her for being so kind."

"Bells understands." Charlie exchanged a worried glance with the other men. Quil clearly wasn't coping at all.

"I know that what has happened is a shock." Old Quil reached out to his grandson but Quil snatched his hand away and put it on his lap.

"I doubt you could explain what the spirits were thinking when they allowed this to happen." Quil wouldn't look at the elder. "Let's just get the lecture over with so I can get out of here."

* * *

><p>Jacob was the first to wake, he sat quietly as he watched Bella sleep. She was so beautiful, even though right now she was looking and feeling so fragile. Her long, brown hair covered half of her face and he carefully pulled it back so that he could see her better. Bella had a slight frown on her face as she slept and he wondered whether she was re-living what had happened. When Billy had finally told him all the horrific details of how Jessica had deliberately attacked Bella, causing the miscarriage, he had been enraged. If she had been male he would have had no qualms about going after them, but the fact that she was female meant he had to hold back and let the law handle it.<p>

As far as he knew Jessica was at the station begin questioned by a colleague of Charlie's Bella's father couldn't handle the case himself as he was too involved. The other girls who had just stood by and let the attack happen were also being questioned. Jacob hoped that Jessica would be charged and the full force of the law thrown at her. She deserved a custodial sentence and much more for what she had done.

Finally Bella began to stir. Her eyelids fluttered open and she yawned slightly. "Hey you." Jacob greeted her.

She twisted her head round and smiled at him, it was such a sad smile that it about broke his heart. "Hey yourself."

"I wish I could make it all better, Bells." Jacob stroked her hair, running his fingers through the silky strands.

"You being here is a great help. Do you feel more awake now?" She settled back in his arms. His touch was soothing and chased away the remnants of the bad dream that she had been having.

"Much better." Jacob kissed the top of her head. "Can I get you anything?"

"Not right now. Can we just stay here for a while like this?" Bella begged.

"Anything you want honey." Jacob hugged her closer to his body and this time kissed her softly on the lips.

* * *

><p>Embry went to see Sam. He was annoyed at the way both he and Emily had handled the whole imprinting saga. He felt that they of all people should have been more understanding to Quil's plight than they had been. Yes, it was an awful shock, but still they should have tried to be a little supportive instead of forcing Quil to flee. It was Emily who answered the door. "Embry." She greeted him. "I'm glad it's you. I thought Quil..."<p>

"I'm here about Quil." Embry didn't bother with politeness. He had never really taken to Emily. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but her false sweetness did not ring true.

"Where is he? Hiding?" Emily stepped aside to let Embry inside.

"Is Sam here?"

"No, he left a while ago to pick up some wood. Why?" Emily patted the hair that covered her scars to make sure it was in place.

"I'll catch up with him later." Embry began to leave but Emily reached out and stopped him.

"You must be as bewildered as the rest of us, Embry." She said. "What Quil has done defies belief."

"Quil has done nothing. You of all people should understand the damage that imprinting can cause." Embry replied bluntly.

"But that's different." Emily recoiled from Embry's harsh tone.

"Yes it is different, you're right." Embry was getting increasingly angry. Imprinting was a damn curse, not a blessing. It just messed with everyone's lives. "I mean you had a choice whether to be with Sam, didn't you? But poor Quil has no choice. Little Clare is in no position to decided what she wants so he is beholden to her until she is old enough to make one."

"What are you implying?" Tears sprung up in Emily's eyes.

"I'm implying that if you had just decided to have Sam as a friend instead of stealing him from your own cousin, then Quil would never have encountered Clare and this whole sorry mess would never have happened." Embry snapped. He shot Emily one last glare before leaving.

* * *

><p>Bella smelled smoke coming from the kitchen. Jacob was meant to be making them both some soup. She struggled off of the sofa, the blanket trailing after her as the smoke alarms began to wail. She heard Jacob cursing and then a bang as the smoke alarm went silent. Bella held her breath and stumbled her way into the kitchen. Jacob had thankfully opened the windows and the cool air was clearing the room.<p>

"What happened?" She choked out.

"Bells, you shouldn't have got up." Jacob swept her up in his arms and carried her back to the sofa.

"I thought the house was on fire." Bella coughed a little.

"Oh that was nothing." Jacob assured her. "Just a little accident."

"Jake the smoke alarms were going off." Bella settled back down as Jacob tucked the blanket back around her.

"The alarm was faulty. Don't worry I've sorted it."

"You mean you broke it?" Bella raised her eyebrows at him.

"Technically I suppose you could say it's not working." Jacob gave her a sheepish smile. "But don't stress I'll just finish making us..."

"No, no." Bella said quickly. "Why don't I call for take out?"

"Don't you trust me, Bells?"

"Yes, apart from when you try to cook that is." Bella smiled at him fondly as she reached for her cell. He really was so adorable.

_**A/N-thanks for reading! **_


	19. Chapter 19

**Nine Months**

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

_**A/N-thank you for the awesome reviews. Nikki :)**_

**Part Eighteen**

The nurse that Charlie had hired to care for Bella while he was at work was brisk and efficient. She wasn't much for small talk and, when she had carried out her duties, she would retire to another room and leave Bella to her own devices. Bella felt that the hours dragged by until her dad came home. Jacob couldn't be with her because he had to attend school and then he was caught up in the mysterious tribal duties that seemed to have taken over his life. He did his upmost to come and see her everyday, but often it was only for an hour at a time.

Victoria was her saving grace. She would pop in every lunch time before she started her afternoon shift and she would bring Bella some of her favorite food to eat along with some much needed TLC. Bella often wondered how she had ever managed without Victoria in her life before and she thanked the day that she had crossed paths with the older woman. She could see that her father too had become attached to Victoria. He was often popping into the diner for a chat and to check how she was doing, either that or Victoria would not too subtly grill Bella about Charlie. Bella felt like banging their heads together; Charlie needed to ask Victoria out officially.

Friday rolled around and Victoria was visiting again. She sat with Bella in the living room and showed her some leaflets she had brought with her. The nurse was in the kitchen, reading a saucy novel, according to Victoria, who had sneaked a peek at her.

"I found these. They're for a support group for young women who've suffered a miscarriage or lost a baby." Victoria passed the leaflets to Bella.

"This isn't really me." Bella hedged as she glanced down at the leaflets.

"I know but I think it would help." Victoria urged her. "They have this ceremony where they all get together and release balloons into the air with the baby's name attached. It's a kind of cathartic way of saying goodbye and remembering the little one."

Bella felt tears prick at her eyes. "I don't know what sex my baby was." She whispered.

"I think you do." Victoria took her hand and smiled at her weakly.

"I always sensed she was a girl." Bella tried to return Victoria's smile but her lips trembled.

"Did you have any ideas for a name?"

"Not until I met Jake. His mom was called Sarah." Bella confessed.

"Sarah is a lovely name." Victoria squeezed her hand before releasing it. "Give it some thought, sweetheart."

"I will. Thank you." Bella replied, her heart feeling a little lighter than it had in days.

* * *

><p>Later that afternoon Bella was dozing on the sofa when she was awakened by a knock on the door. She heard the nurse give an irritated sigh as she went to answer it. Bella listened to the voice of the caller and recognized it as belonging to Mike Newton. Her hand flew to her mouth; she had completely forgotten that he had railroaded her into a date that one time she had crossed paths with him at the diner. Bella heard the nurse reluctantly let him in and the sound of his footsteps as he was shown into the living room. Bella glared at the nurse who was standing behind Mike. She knew she wasn't supposed to let anyone in without telling her first. The nurse just ignored her dark look and left the room.<p>

"Hello Bella." Mike greeted her. He was holding a ridiculously large bunch of flowers.

"Mike I'm sorry. I should have called, but I've been unwell and our date sort of slipped my mind." Bella apologized quickly as she hugged her blanket around her.

"Oh, no worries. These are for you." Mike thrust the flowers into Bella's hands nearly poking her in the eyes with the tall stems.

Bella sneezed slightly as she tried to see him above the huge posy. "Thank you. You shouldn't have. Um...could you perhaps pass them to the nurse though. I can't get up."

Mike turned red as he began to apologise profusely. He took them back from her and disappeared for a moment as he hunted down the nurse and passed them to her so she could put them in a vase, or maybe two or three, there were so many flowers. He returned and sat down on the recliner, an awkward smile on his face.

"So what happened? Have you had the flu? That nurse is a bit grim. Do you know she was reading that racy new novel that all the old housewives are reading?" He babbled.

"Oh you mean Fifty Ways to Screw You." Bella giggled. Mike was fidgeting awkwardly and his cheeks were turning redder. She found this amusing.

"Yeah, you know I caught my mom reading it. Talk about embarrassing. She said I should skim through it to give me few tips on how to get the girls to give it up... I mean...not that I did. No I'm not like that at all. I promise. I didn't read it really. My mom's insane. I just thought I would pre-warn you before you met her..." His words came out ever faster as he tried to cover up his huge blunder.

"Okay." Bella didn't know what to say.

"So it was the flu then?" Mike's face was now a puce colour. He ran his hand through his hair nervously, making it stand up in spikes.

"Um..kinda." Bella was speechless. She really didn't know what to say. Mike looked like he was coming apart at the seams. His hand was now tugging at the collar of his shirt.

"Did you like the flowers?" He continued. "I got one of every type because I wasn't sure what you liked. The florist thought I was a nut...but I'm not." He held up his hands in a begging gesture as he realized he had messed up again. "I'm really not. I'm a good guy, ask anyone. Well not Lauren Hayward, she was my last girlfriend, and our break up was really bad, really bad. I tell you Bella she was insane. Like my mom...not that I date girls because they remind me of my mom. I'm not a nut, really I'm not. I mean you're not like my mom, you're normal."

Bella felt like she was in the twilight zone. She stared wide eyed as Mike continued to ramble on about his ex. "When I broke it off with her she posted pictures of me on line with no clothes on. I mean where would she have got those? It's not like I take photos of myself in the nude. She must have been spying on me. Don't you think she's insane?"

"Totally." Bella agreed.

The front door opened then interrupting them. Bella breathed a sigh of relief as her father came marching into the room. He was just about to greet her when he saw Mike Newton rise up from the recliner, holding out his hand. "Mike Newton, sir of Newton Outfitters."

Charlie didn't shake his hand. He frowned. "I know who you are boy. What are you doing here?"

"I came to take your lovely daughter on a date but I didn't know she was ill so I brought her flowers and..." Mike's words came tumbling out one after the other so fast that he was nearly incomprehensible.

"Slow down boy I can't understand a word you're saying." Charlie glanced over at Bella who was holding her hand over her mouth to stop herself laughing.

Mike inhaled deeply which resulted in a coughing fit. He hunched over and Charlie had to hit him on the back until he regained his composure. "Oh I am so sorry, so sorry Chief Swan, what must you think of me?" He apologized.

"I think perhaps you should go home now boy, Bells needs her rest." Charlie said not too subtly.

Mike's face turned redder if that was possible. "Oh of course." He wheezed. "What must you think of me? Sorry Bella I should have guessed you would need your rest. I'll call you and we can arrange another time. Bye...bye Chief Swan." He tugged at his collar nervously again before fleeing the house.

"What the hell was that about?" Charlie asked Bella in confusion as she collapsed on the sofa laughing.

* * *

><p>Jacob walked out of the meeting feeling like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. Once again it had descended into chaos. The subject of imprinting had been brought up again and trouble had started straight away. Leah was the first to kick off as she ranted at Sam and Emily for ruining her life. Seth had to hold her back from going after Emily, who had dissolved into tears. Sam had reprimanded Leah, which in turn had set Embry off; he began calling Sam a huge hypocrite. Jared had joined in defending Sam. Paul had butted in talking about things he knew nothing about. It had turned into a nightmare. Jacob had to order them all to go on a long run and cool off. The only one who had remained indifferent was Quil. He had stood alone in the corner, his eyes and mind far away.<p>

Jacob had tried to talk to his friend but Quil had shut him down. He had asked about Bella and then left to go after the others. Jacob didn't know what to do. He was handling everything badly. Imprinting had become a sore subject and it felt like there was now two sides; those who had imprinted and those who had not. There was no middle ground. The pack had reached breaking point and so had he. He was tired of the constant juggling act. He hardly had any time to be with Bella between looking after his dad, trying to fit in school and his studies, patrolling and keeping the pack in some sort of order. He was obliged to attend meetings with the elders from next week and he just didn't know where he was supposed to find the extra hours to just catch some sleep. He left to go home and attend to Billy. Jacob knew that if he didn't then his father would neglect his medication because he struggled with it. It was just another burden he could do without.

* * *

><p>When Jacob finally arrived at the Swan house he felt exhausted. He trudged inside and sat next to Bella, his eyes already closing as his head fell on her shoulder. Bella gazed at him in concern. She had become increasingly worried about him over the last few days. When they were together he tried to act happy and like the sunny boy she knew him to be, but she could tell it was all an act. Things were dragging him down, it was obvious. He often fell asleep just like this as soon as he arrived. The dark circles under his eyes seemed to be permanent and the worry lines on his forehead were getting deeper.<p>

Charlie came into the room and glanced at Jacob sleeping deeply. "How long has he been like that?" He whispered.

"As soon as he got here. He barely had the energy to greet me." Bella stroked Jacob's cheek with her fingers. "I'm really worried about him dad."

"I am too." Charlie said grimly. "He is being put under too much pressure."

"Can't something be done about it?" Bella asked.

"I wish there was. I've tried to intervene but really it's not my place." Charlie admitted.

"What about Billy? Can't he do something about these tribal things so Jake can get some rest at least." Bella was getting angry on Jacob's behalf.

"I wish it were that simple. There is not much Billy can do either. Jake's responsibilities come with the territory." Charlie tried to explain.

Bella looked at Jacob sadly. She was physically feeling a lot stronger. He had been a huge support to her. Maybe it was time she returned the favor. She glanced at her father again who was now sitting in his recliner. "Dad, you know you said you would tell me the truth about what has been going on when I felt stronger?" She reminded him.

"Yes."

"Well I'm ready now. Tell me what the hell is going on to make Jacob so exhausted." Bella said firmly.

Charlie eyed her shrewdly. "I will tell you, kiddo. But I think we should wait for Jake to wake up and explain his own part. It's only fair. I know he has been stressing about you finding out. As have I."

"Is it that bad?" Bella questioned.

"It is unbelievable, kiddo." Charlie's expression was grim as they both looked at the exhausted young man by Bella's side.

_**A/N-thanks for reading! **_


	20. Chapter 20

**Nine Months**

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

_**A/N-thanks for the awesome reviews. Nikki :)**_

**Part Nineteen**

When Jacob finally woke up he was stunned to learn that Charlie had agreed to reveal everything to Bella and that she felt strong enough to handle it. He sat across from them, his shoulders tense as he tried to gauge how Bella was really feeling. He was frightened, deeply frightened, not just about her learning what he was, but also hearing about imprinting. This could make or break them and he didn't want to risk losing her; he was deeply in love with her and didn't think he could cope if she decided she wanted him out of her life.

"Are you sure you're up for this, Bells?" He asked nervously.

"I'm very sure." Bella reached out and took his warm hand in her own. "I can see how everything is affecting you and I want to understand so I can help you like you've been helping me."

"I'm fine. Honestly." Jacob rushed to reassure her. "Don't feel that you..."

"Jake it's time." Charlie interjected. "Bells needs to know."

"But..."

"I know you are worried son, but it's only right that she should be told." Charlie continued.

Jacob glanced at Bella before staring down at their clasped hands. "You're going to hate me." He mumbled.

"Don't be silly." Bella chided him. "That could never happen."

Jacob sighed heavily. "I hope so." He raised his head to look at Charlie briefly. "You start." He begged him.

"If that's what you want." Charlie felt Jacob's pain. He could see this was a big thing for him, but if he wanted to pursue a relationship with his daughter it had to be on level terms. Bella needed to make an informed decision about what she wanted to do.

* * *

><p>"I found out myself after having a drunken argument with Billy. The Cullen's had just moved to the area and I had met the head of the family, Carlisle, and his wife. They seemed nice and pleasant enough. The children were enrolled in Fork's high and although they kept themselves to themselves, they caused no trouble. That's why I couldn't understand Billy's attitude toward them. He and I have been friends for many years and hardly a cross word was ever spoken between us, but this became a big divide we couldn't cross." Charlie explained.<p>

Bella listened to her father intently. Jacob's grip on her hand became tighter as he kept his gaze focused on their entwined fingers.

"One night I was over at his house, we'd had a few drinks and the same old argument started. It became quite heated as he refused to open up about his reasons for hating the family so much. He said it wasn't his place, that tribal law prevented him from revealing everything. I told him that was utter bullshit, that I had been his friend since childhood and that had to mean something." Charlie smiled grimly at the memory. "We exchanged a few more harsh words then I was about to storm out when he blurted out what the Cullen's really were."

Bella held her breath as she gazed at her father. "What are they?" She whispered, thinking perhaps they were convicted murderers on the run or something. What he said next blew her away.

"The Cullen's are vampires, kiddo." Charlie replied bluntly.

"Vampires?" Bella sat back in her chair and frowned. Was this some kind of joke? "You can't expect me to believe that. I thought you were going to be honest with me. Is this some kind of game?"

"This is no game." Charlie exchanged a look with Jacob, who was still gripping Bella's hand for dear life, as if worried she was about to bolt out the door. "The Cullen coven or family as they like to call themselves are vampires."

"But I saw Edward out during the daylight hours. If what you say is true he wouldn't be able to roam about under the sun." Bella said dismissively.

"These are not the type of vampires you see on the television or in films, kiddo." Charlie replied sternly. "All that is made up myth. The real vampires can walk about during the day, but not in direct sunlight. If they were to stand in a shaft of bright sunlight you would see the difference immediately."

"How?" Despite her misgivings, Bella decided to listen further.

"Their skin is much tougher than our own, it is more like stone and just as cold." Charlie pointed out. Bella froze as she recalled how cold Carlisle's touch had been when he had shaken her hand. "They are also much whiter than the average human, their skin sparkles in the sun and their eyes are different too."

"Amber..." Bella whispered.

"Not normally no. The human blood drinkers eyes are red. The Cullen's are different because they drink animal blood. They like to call themselves _vegetarians."_ He said sarcastically. "But in my mind they are what they are."

"You mean there are other vampires out there that kill humans and drink from them?" Bella was horrified. Her face paled at the thought.

"Yes there are, kiddo." Charlie sighed. "The world we live in isn't as we all thought. The vampires like this part of the world because of the weather. Forks and the surrounding area's have cloudy weather for much of the year, not to mention lots of forest to hide in. As I said the Cullen's like to think of themselves as civilized, but I don't fully trust them."

"How else do they differentiate from the stuff that I've seen in films and read in books?" Bella questioned.

"Real vampires don't sleep. They are awake twenty four hours a day. They are immortal more or less. There are few ways to kill them. Some of them have been around for centuries. Stakes through the heart don't work, nor does garlic or crosses keep them at bay. That is all made up legend."

"Then how can they be killed?" Bella felt sick as she thought about Carlisle and Edward. She had spoken to them both and thought they seemed normal. She would never have known.

"By me." Jacob spoke for the first time.

"You?" Bella stared at him.

"Yes me." Jacob caught her other hand in his so he was gripping onto both of them. "I've killed a few cold ones, Bells. That's what my people call them. They roam through our lands quite often now that the Cullen's have settled nearby, their closeness draws others here, the true blood drinkers."

Bella swallowed the lump in her throat as she continued to stare at him. He felt like he was drowning in the dark brown pools of her eyes. "Is this the tribal duties you've been referring to?"

"Yes. I am a protector. I am the leader of a pack of wolves who patrol our borders daily to make sure that the nomadic cold ones do not get near human habitation. We track them and kill them on sight. To make sure they stay dead we have to burn their remains." Jacob held her gaze as he watched a myriad of emotions cross her beautiful face.

"Wolves? Like in werewolves?" Bella choked out.

"Not quite like them. I am a spirit wolf; a shapeshifter. I and some others of my tribe were born with the special gene that allows us to transform into our spirit wolves in times of danger or crisis. The Cullen's moving here triggered the gene."

"How long have you been able to do this?" If Jacob hadn't been gripping her hands so tightly Bella felt like she would faint.

"Since I was sixteen." Jacob said sadly.

"Dad?" Bella looked to her father for confirmation.

Charlie nodded at her. "It's all true, kiddo. I was there the night Jake phased for the first time."

"Phased?"

"Yeah he means when I transformed."

"You said there were others in your...your pack?" Bella tried to keep her voice steady. She could see the toll it was taking on Jacob as he opened up to her.

"Embry, Quil, Seth Clearwater, Paul Lahote, Jared Thail, Sam Uley and Leah Clearwater are the others." Jacob told her.

"Leah? A girl?" The surprises just kept coming.

"We were just as shocked. We've never had a female wolf before." Jacob confessed.

"So I take it Quil was so upset because he changed into a wolf and thought you would all be angry at him." Bella asked. "I'm so glad that he knows now that he doesn't have to worry. How did he take it when he found out you were all wolves too?"

Jacob flinched as she spoke about Quil. He glanced at Charlie again, who raised his eyebrows. "I have to make a call, kiddo." He said to Bella. "I'm going to leave Jake to explain imprinting to you."

"Imprinting?" Bella glanced between them; Jacob looked utterly panicked. The circulation in her fingers was disappearing the tighter he held onto them.

"It wasn't turning into a wolf that upset Quil, kiddo. It was imprinting." Charlie stood up and put a hand on Jacob's shoulder before leaving the room.

Bella turned her attention back to Jacob. His head was bowed and his full lips were clamped together. "Jake, what the hell is imprinting?"

"It is how we find our...our so called soul mates." The words seemed forced out of him.

"And Quil found his?" Bella felt her heart constrict in her chest. By Jacob's reaction this whole imprinting business couldn't be good.

"Yes."

"Who?"

"Before I tell you that I have to explain a little more about imprinting. _It's not like love at first sight, really. It's more like... gravity moves... suddenly. It's not the earth holding you here anymore, she does... You become whatever she needs you to be, whether that's a protector, or a lover, or a friend._" Jacob's voice was like stone as he spoke.

Bella felt like someone had grabbed her heart and squashed it into a million pieces. "Can you imprint on anyone or does it have to be someone you already have feelings for?" She asked in trepidation.

"It can be a complete stranger." Jacob couldn't look at her. "Suddenly this girl you've never met before becomes your whole world and reason for living."

"What if you are involved with somebody already? What happens to them?" Bella pressed.

Jacob's face told her all she needed to know. "I see." She said dully. "They become like nothing."

"It happened to Leah and Sam. They were together and then Sam met Leah's cousin, Emily and..." Jacob couldn't continue.

"So Leah was dumped and left high and dry." Bella closed her eyes. What torture it must be for her seeing Sam with her own cousin. "The others?"

"Jared is the only other to imprint until it happened to Quil. He imprinted on a girl he sat next to daily in his calculus class."

"Did he like her already?"

"No, he hadn't really noticed Kim before."

"And Quil?" Bella whispered.

"Quil imprinted on Emily's niece. Little Clare is two years old." Jacob rested his forehead on their entwined hands.

"Two?" Bella felt faint and rather nauseous. No wonder Quil was falling apart. She closed her eyes again before asking the most important question of all. "And you Jake? Have you imprinted?"

Jacob raised his head and gazed at her, his eyes were tortured. "I love you."

"That's not what I asked."

"But that's all that matters." Jacob pleaded. "Tell me that you understand, Bella. Please."

_**A/N-thanks for reading! **_


	21. Chapter 21

**Nine Months**

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

_**A/N-thanks for the awesome reviews. Nikki :)**_

**Part Twenty **

"Bells say something, please." Jacob said again when she didn't speak; she had a contemplative look on her face and for the first time since he had known her he had no idea what she was thinking.

Bella shook herself and finally met his eyes. "I want to go and see Quil."

Her words took him by surprise. "But why?"

"I can't say right now." Bella stood up and waited. "So will you take me or not?"

Jacob could do nothing else but agree.

* * *

><p>The drive to La Push was relatively silent. Bella refused to answer Jacob's questions and he finally gave up, having exhausted everything he wanted to say. He felt sick to his stomach. She was going to go, he could feel it. After listening to the long, unbelievable explanation of what had been really going on, it was the threat of imprinting which was going to tear them apart. He stared grimly ahead as he gripped the steering wheel tightly in his hands. He had never felt so lost and desperate in his life. It didn't take long to reach the Ateara residence. He saw the family truck parked outside along with Quil's mom's car beside it. The whole family must be at home. Jacob parked up the rabbit and switched off the engine.<p>

"We're here." He said unnecessarily.

"I know." Bella didn't look at him. She climbed out of the car and headed over to the large, sprawling wooden building. Jacob hit the steering wheel with the heel of his hand as he tried to get his whirling emotions under control. His wolf was clawing to get out as his unhappiness overwhelmed him.

Quil was surprised when he answered the door to find Bella standing on his front porch. He glanced over her shoulder to see Jacob still sitting in his car, a grim expression on his face. "What's going on?" He asked uncertainly. "Are you okay?"

"I know, Quil." Bella told him. "I know everything."

"Everything?" He said warily.

"Yes. My dad and Jake explained it all to me. I also know about Clare." Bella saw a hunted look cross Quil's face as he stepped back from her as if she had just punched him.

"Why would you...? What are you doing here then, Bella? Are you here to tell me what a freak I am?" Quil yelled at her, his misery breaking through the barrier he had put around himself ever since his row with Jacob.

"No, I'm here to tell you I understand and that I want to support you." Bella said firmly reaching out to take hold of his hand.

"And Jake?" Quil stared over her shoulder at his friend who was still sitting in the car and hadn't moved.

"Of course he is. Jake is just exhausted. I want you to take me to meet Clare." Bella asked him.

"But why? What will that achieve?" Quil couldn't believe that Bella was being so understanding, especially after the reaction of his own brothers.

"I just need to see for myself what this imprinting thing really means." Bella pleaded with him. "Please Quil, for me?"

Quil released a heavy sigh and he finally nodded. "If that's what you need."

"It is." Bella smiled at him weakly. "Come on." She tugged on his hand and led him toward the Rabbit.

* * *

><p>Jacob watched as Quil climbed into the car beside him while Bella settled into the back. He had heard the gist of the conversation between them both. He twisted round to look at Bella, she was staring out the side window, refusing to meet his gaze. Jacob pressed his lips together as he restarted the engine and pulled the car around.<p>

"Will Clare's family be alright with us turning up like this?" Jacob asked Quil.

"They are not entirely happy with the situation." Quil said quietly. "Emily had to do a lot of persuading and explaining to her sister, but they finally have allowed me to see Clare as long as it is under supervision."

Jacob glanced at his friend. Quil's happy go lucky nature was missing. He seemed sad and very reserved. In the past everyone used to yell at Quil to grow up, he seemed slower to mature than the others, even after he had phased. But right now Jacob missed his exuberance and playful nature. He hated seeing his friend suffering like this and guilt over what he had said to him weighed heavily on his conscience. "What I said that day, Quil. I'm very sorry. I was stressed because of Bella losing the baby."

Quil glanced at him. By the contrite look on Jacob's face he could see that his friend meant it. His shoulders relaxed and he felt some of the tension leave his body. "Thank you." He said simply.

In the back of the car Bella smiled.

* * *

><p>Clare's mother was not very happy to see Quil and the others. However she called out to her daughter to come and greet the visitors. Little Clare skipped to the door, hugging a teddy bear to her chest. She beamed when she saw Quil and lifted her arms so he could pick her up. "Quilly."<p>

"Hey Clare." Quil relaxed further as he picked the little girl up and perched her on his shoulders. "Thank you Maria for letting me visit."

Maria pursed her lips and nodded. "Just stay outside where I can see you all." She said abruptly.

Quil flinched at her sharp tone but nodded his acquiescence. Bella felt a huge wave of sympathy wash over her. How hard it must be for him to have to deal with such suspicions, but on the other hand she couldn't blame Clare's mother either. The little girl herself seemed delighted with Quil. She was singing a little song to herself as he walked down the steps. He lifted her from his shoulders and placed her gently on the ground.

"So what have you been doing today?" He asked as Clare took hold of his hand and began to chatter about the tea party she had been having with her stuffed animals.

"Teddy woz naughty Quilly. I havta tell im off." Clare held up the teddy she had carried out of the house with her.

"Good girl. You tell him." Quil smiled at her fondly.

Bella stood off to one side with Jacob as they both watched him interact with the little girl. "He's very good with her." Bella whispered.

"Yeah, it's the first time I've actually seen them together." Jacob whispered back to her. He gazed down at her hopefully. She didn't sound upset in any way, just curious as she continued to watch Quil play and listen to Clare as she continued to babble in her childish language. "Bells, tell me what you're thinking?" He finally begged her.

Bella tore her eyes away from Clare and Quil and glanced up at him. She saw the anguish in his eyes and smiled at him sadly. "I'm thinking that maybe this imprint here isn't what you all think it is."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean I can't see Quil ever being a romantic interest for Clare when she grows. She will always see him as the uncle type figure that watched her grow up. I also feel that Quil will never feel that way for her either. All I see is Quil being an important part of her life, protecting her when needed and playing with her kids when she has them. This isn't the same type of imprint that Sam, Emily and Jared and that Kim have. I think Clare has grounded Quil, given him someone to focus on, made him grow up a little." Bella replied as she turned her attention back to little Clare and Quil.

"You're amazing do you know that?" Jacob said in awe. "No one has ever put it in that context before. It's not just that either, you've been so accepting of it all."

"I've seen evil, Jake. I saw it in Jessica's eyes when she hurt me and I lost my baby. I even saw it in James' eyes when he cruelly rejected me. What you guys do every day is beyond my comprehension. Facing down those creatures must be frightening, and having to face all this uncertainty too. To be honest it still hasn't all sunk in, but what I do know is that you've been there for me from day one and I want to be there for you. You've been nothing but honest with me, you haven't held anything back. You could have left imprinting out and I would never have known, but you've given me the chance to make a decision with all the facts in front of me. Thank you for that." Bella reached out and took his hand which had been hovering near hers the whole time.

Jacob felt his burden become lighter as he wound his fingers around hers. Clare was playing hide and seek with Quil now. She was hiding in plain sight behind the porch steps and Quil was pretending that he couldn't see her, as Clare giggled. "Does this mean you'll give us a chance, Bells?" He asked, holding his breath as he waited for her to answer.

Bella glanced at him again and smiled properly this time. "Yes." She agreed.

Jacob let out his breath and grinned at her, pulling her into a tight hug as he did so.

_**A/N-thank you for reading! **_


	22. Chapter 22

_Note to readers..._

_Hello everyone,_

_this is a quick note to say I won't be continuing this story and will be taking it down. I have received quite a few negative reviews and PM's about the last few chapters especially. So after giving it some serious thought I don't think it is worth carrying on. Some readers wanted to know why I called it Nine Months when Bella lost her baby, but it was actually referring to something to do with Jake and Bella's relationship rather than the baby aspect. It would have been the ninth month when Jake finally imprinted on Bella after she let her shield down and let him in after Victoria's husband returned and caused trouble for the couple, Charlie and the others. Anyway thank you to all the readers who kindly left such amazing feed back. I really enjoyed hearing your thoughts, but perhaps the readers who PM'd me are right and I have lost my way with this story. I have been battling my muse for a long while and perhaps have run out of steam lately. _

_Sorry!_

_Nikki :/_


	23. Chapter 23

_**Thank you to readers:**_

_**I want to say a big thank you to all the lovely readers who left kind messages on this story. I feel humbled by all the support that you have shown me. I am going to take a step back from the story for a while and reassess where it is heading. If any one has any ideas or would like to see it go in a certain direction then I would love to hear from you. My muse needs all the help it can get! **_

_**Once again, thank you all so much! **_

_**Hugs,**_

_**Nikki :)**_


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